Fates Entwined
by Ily Shizuko
Summary: He was brought into a dangerous life by birth. His life from there was far from normal. Large groups of men that obey his every whim and girls fawning over him. But when he meets a girl different from the rest he's willing to do everything to protect what little normal life he has.
1. Chapter 1

Two distinct figures walked down the dark soundless night streets with the street lights flickering as they passed by dressed in pure black suits both with darks shades and a black dress hat concealing their identity.

"I don't see why we need to beef up patrol." One of the figures spoke calmly hands in his pants pockets. "It's not like their stupid enough to invade territory at night."

"You have a point but you can't disobey that idiot's orders. He's usually right on these things." The other responded looking down at his hand watch. "Looks like patrols 'bout ove-"

The figure stopped mid sentence collapsing to the ground clutching his right shoulder aggressively to stop the pain he was experiencing.

"Gajeel?" The other figure asked looking back at the man on the ground.

"Get down!" Gajeel shouted lunging at the other figure to the ground as a shot rang through the soundless night grazing a building just behind the two. "We have to get back and report this."

"Right." His partner nodded as he put his hand on Gajeel's shoulder and in a instant the pair were a blur gone out of site in a mere second.

"Damnit." Was heard as soon as they were gone a figure then emerged from the shadows. "I couldn't get the other one."

"Don't worry hun, at least we got one of them to pass along our little message." A voice said. "Now let's get going and report a mission accomplished."

The figure nodded meekly at the voice's words and turned walking away.

* * *

"Master!" A loud screech ripped through the silent office that was occupied as the assailant barged in with a panicked looked of distress.

"What is it now?" The one presumed as 'master' answered calmly the back of his chair facing the assailant while viewing the night sky through the glass window.

"Gajeel and his partner just came back from patrol." He said in between breaths. "Gajeel was shoot in the shoulder, they didn't see anyone but suspect someone in particular."

"Sabertooth?" The master asked quietly in deep thought.

"Yes sir, we suspect it could be them after last weeks altercation of the guild claiming the same turf that we got hit on."

The master turned around in his chair slowly deep in thought. He revealed himself to his comrade with his hands folded under his chin and hat covering the upper part of his face. "How dare they attack us like that." Was the only thing he said before he took off his hat and slammed it into the desk revealing his pinkish hair and dark black eyes.

"Sabertooth's going to pay for that. Dragon Lord ain't going to back down without a fight." He yelled sternly standing up and briskly walking out the room.


	2. Chapter 2

"Another one." The man spoke roughly pushing his glass forward to the bartender. With a small nod the bartender replaced his drink with a new one.

The male sat up straight with his glass in hand turning slightly to watch the large group of males and females dancing under the strobe lights in the middle of the floor. He adjusted his red shades glancing around the room spotting a few potential females to take home.

"One beer please." He heard a soft voice.

He straighten up in his seat and glanced to examine the owner of the velvet voice. There beside him sat a blonde with mid length hair dressed in a tight light blue dress that reached mid thigh and showed a generous amount of cleavage. He licked his lips and drowned down his liquor.

"Hey beautiful, what's your name?" He asked flashing her one of his charming smiles.

He noticed that she turned slightly in his direction with a small blush adoring her cheeks before looking back straight.

"It's Lucy." She finally spoke staring straight ahead again.

"I must have been pretty damn lucky to met you tonight." He said in a flirtatious manner. "The names Natsu by the way."

She giggled at his actions. Just then her drink arrived.

"Woah I won't have suspect a girl like you drank a lot."

"Well a lot of girls aren't me." She remarked with a flirty smile.

Natsu turned his body so his legs were open and he could face Lucy fully. He fixed his pink button up shirt and black blazer to make himself more appealing.

"Now that I look at you, you really aren't, your more beautiful."

"I bet that's what you tell every girl your attracted to." She said loud enough for him to hear over the music. She took a large swing of her beer, licking her lips after she was done.

"I don't tell every girl that I'm interested in them." He added with a smirk. "Wanna have a dance with me?"

Natsu stood up and extended out his hand to the blonde who stared at it before drinking down the rest of her beer and then turn toward him and grabbed his hand.

"Certainly."

The rosy haired man pulled her up swiftly bringing her close to him as he laid a hand on her hip. They walked to the dance floor of the club and slowly moved to the music. Lucy slowly moved in front of the male blushing as his hands trailed up her sides and back down to her waist. Underneath his red shades Natsu checked the blonde out and declared in his mind that she'll be what he'd take home tonight.

As a slow song began to fill the club the lights got a little dimmer giving the rosy haired man the perfect opportunity. He slid a hand around her waist and trailed a hand up to stroke her cheek in a loving manner. Just as he was going to go in for the kill he felt someone grab his wrist tightly moving it away from Lucy's face.

"No."

The Dragon Lord master looked up to his female companion's face in utter shock to her response. Lucy on the other hand kept a small smile on her lips while dancing in front of the stunned male.

"What did you say?"

"I said no."

"No what?" He asked puzzled regaining his composer.

"No to being that fine ass you take home tonight." She said sultry as she slowly began to circle him. "I'm not a idiot nor do I like being a one night stand kind of girl."

Lucy bit her lip when she was fully in front of him again and hmph slightly and walked away back to the bar swaying her lips leaving the man in a daze.

"W-wait Lucy!?" Natsu began to shout coming out his gaze, weaving through the crowd of drunk couples. He pushed his way through only to find no sign of the blonde in question. She wasn't at the bar or in any of the booths that were lined up along the wall. "Damnit."

He growled in frustration feeling defeated once more in the same night. " _Now how the hell am I going to find her?"_ , he thought as he strided away to the exit of the club.


	3. Chapter 3

"What crawled up your butt and died?" A black haired shirtless male asked with his arms crossed staring down at the pink haired male who's head was down on the dark oak desk. "Does flame breath have a hangover?"

He smirked to himself when the male struggled to turn his head.

"Fuck you Gray." He mumbled before slowly sitting up and clutching his head.

"What happen to you?" Gray asked watching as his friend nursed a cup of red liquid.

"I uh had a rough night last night." Natsu responded half heartily while his mind was mainly on the blonde from last night.

"You gotta get straight man, your the one who gives orders around here and if everyone sees you like this their going to flake on the organization." The dark haired male responded walking over to the two single chairs angled in front of the dark oak desk.

"You think I don't know that?" He hissed drowning the rest of the liquid substance down before rubbing his head to soothe the aching pain.

Natsu spent the rest of the night at the club scooping the whole building for the woman named Lucy. Not another woman caught his eye that night which was strangely weird. He only had one mission and it was to know where she went to and see if she really did exist. She disappeared so fast that he started to think he was going crazy, but everything felt so real. Her touch. Her voice. Her movement. Her eyes.

Natsu groaned taking the papers that laid on his desk waiting to be seen by him.

"What's this?" He asked his friend who stared off into space with a bored expression.

"Their the report papers on yesterday's incident. Seems like Sabertooth hired a sniper and gun man to do a job they couldn't accomplish alone."

The pink haired man studied the paperwork taking in every detail before setting it down and looking up. "If they want to play hard then let's send a group to terrorize one of their know turfs. That should put them in their place."

"Anyone special you wanna send?"

"Hm, Gajeel and Laxus for sure. The rest you can choice but make sure they know this isn't a game." He replied thoughtfully before smirking. "Maybe I'll join in on the fun too."

"Oh really? I might as well join in too, this sounds like it'd be fun." Gray said with a chuckle.

"Go riot up a team then!" Natsu said standing abruptly with a grin spread across his face. "I'm fired up now!"

"Alright alright." Gray stood up smiling. "Nice to see your not a stiff anymore."

"Watch it snow princess!" He yelled out laughing at his friend's retreating form.

The pinked haired man turned toward the window that over looked part of Magnolia that Dragon Lord's guild hall faced. A smiled grew on his face as he remembered when he was only 6 years old looking out the very same window with his dad who was the master before him.

Igneel Dragneel was the most feared master in all of Fiore. No one dared to meddle into his plans. Even if that was the side everyone remembered about him, Natsu remembered something different though. He remembered the man that came home with that friendly face who'd be ready for whatever shananagins he pulled that day. Or when he went from cold hearted boss to playful dad when he came running into the hall everyday after school.

"I wish you were still here teaching me everything I needed to know." He whispered softly to himself covering the smile that grew on his lips with his hand reminiscing the small memories he and his dad shared.

"Gajeel and Laxus agreed to go. I got Leon and Elfman also on board. Should we get more people?" Gray read off his clip board looking down at the master in front of him.

"I say the 6 of us will complete the job just fine." Natsu said flatly.

"We're ready if you are then."

"Let's go now then, anything to get out of this office." As fast as those words flew out of his mouth the rosy haired man jumped up and straighten up his clothes before grinning widely. "Come on."


	4. Chapter 4

"Where's Sabertooth's guild hall located?!" The pink haired male yelled down at the man who's head was bowed in defeat. The young master sucked his teeth slowly getting annoyed with the man's silence. "Ah? Are you planning not to tell me?"

He waited a minute before getting impatient and slamming his bat into the man's store counter which caused the man to shiver in fear. "Are you going to tell me or am I going to break some more things around here huh?"

"T-there on the outskirt of the city, i-i-in a house make shift guild." The man finally said quivering once more before being kicked in the back from a male.

"Finally." Natsu said happily setting his bat down and shifting his weight onto the stick. "Now Elfman let the man go, we'll thank the man by leaving him in peace. Move out."

The silver haired man stepped onto the quivering store owner's back using it as a stepping stool all the while smirking at his doing before leaving the shop. The pink haired man swung his bat to rest on his shoulder then smiled friendly at the store owner before leaving and chuckling at the destruction caused by his group. The windows to buildings were smashed, vendor's carts were turned over and smashed to pieces, half the citizens who inhabit the block scurried into the homes afraid of their attackers. Afraid of him and his guild more like.

He walked over to Gray and his adoptive brother Lyon who were marking the wall of an apartment building with the Dragon Lord emblem, a blood red dragon blowing fire.

"Not half bad boys, it looks pretty damn good!" He raved in excitement.

"You think?" Gray asked with a laugh capping his spray can up. "I wonder how the Saber freaks will enjoy this!"

"I say they'll enjoy this gift." The young master said. "Ima walk home. I think this outing is enough for me for one day. Make sure the others don't wreck the block too much."

"Aye sir." Gray saluted playfully before continuing his grand master piece.

Natsu walked happily down the streets heading back to his guild hall. His bat was resting on his shoulders, his red shades gave off a 'don't fuck with me' vibe, and his well polished semi professional suit made him look like he meant buisness. The citizens scurried off in different directions to make themselves less seen making sure not to look him straight in the eye all the while.

'Tch, cowards.' He inwardly chuckled watching the scene of both young and old pushing and shoving to get past each other.

Sure it was entertaining sometimes but other times it's annoying.

The young master walked further down the street enjoying the quietness. He noticed a familiar set legs that were crossed over their owners right knee. He stopped walking placing his bat on the ground putting his weight on it. His eyes traveled up the pair of ivory cream legs that were in a kaki colored shorts paired with a v-neck baby blue t-shirt. When the legs moved he looked up and saw a piece of blonde hair falling in front of their eyes. Taking in the full picture he recognized the person to be the blonde from the night before sitting on the park bench reading the book in her hand diligently. Smirking to himself, the pink haired man smoothed his hair back then swung his bat back over his head and walked toward the girl.

"Hey beautiful, remember me?" He said in a cocky matter standing in front of the girl while using his bat as a cane.

The blonde looked up shielding her eyes with her hand from the sun as she looked him over. A simple 'Nope." with an exaggerated sound on the 'p' and she went back to reading her novel. Natsu frowned and threw himself on the bench beside her staring at her curiously. "What's the big deal? I thought we hit it off last night."

"Oh so I wasn't going to be your booty of the night?" She asked calmly flipping the page of her novel. "Not likely in my book."

"Usually women fall head over heels with me, what's the deal!" Natsu huffed in frustration staring at the woman who kept her nose in the novel. "Give me that!"

He then grabbed her novel out her hands and flipped through skimming the pages. It was nothing but another unrealistic love story that just bore him within the first few pages he tried to read.

"Hey give me my book back!" The blonde growled punching him in the arm with all her might. The male felt the same arm ache surely knowing a bruise will form.

'She must not know who i am if she did that.' He smirked loving how the woman before him wasn't so submissive as the rest of the women he ever encountered. Natsu raised his sore arm up holding the book in the air while rubbed the tender spot lightly chuckling.


	5. Chapter 5

What an arogant guy! Lucy snorted at the smirking pink haired man that sat in front of her.

Natsu just kept smirking at her holding her novel hostage under his resting hands.

"What are we even doing here?" The blonde asked defeated looking around at her surroundings.

The pink hair man lead her into a diner of some sort, picking a booth in the back away from the windows and customers inhabiting the afternoon lunch rush. The diner's decorations were very simple, similar to a retro diner that had a few framed pictures, a small radio behind the main counter, and then a few booths lining the wall. The only modern touch the diner had was a small television that played the top hit music videos or whatever local station is on.

"I'd figure we could have some lunch, sorta like a date." The man told her in his smooth voice.

"I don't have time for a 'date'. Now can I get my book back? I have other things to do today that doesn't include being here." Lucy sighed squeezing the bridge of her nose.

"Ooh what kind of things Luigi?" He asked in what seemed to be a mockingly amused voice.

"You don't even know my name. Gimme my damn book already!" She demanded raising her voice slightly not to disturb anyone while kicking the man repeativly under the table.

"Sheesh Lucy your so fiesty." Natsu said chuckling before suddenly resting his head on the table groaning.

"I'm glad you remember my name." She said in an innocent voice.

"What would you like hun?" A new voice asked interrupting the two.

Lucy looked up to see a waitress with long green hair and ruby red lips come to their table with a pad of paper and pen in hand. The blonde was hesitant to answer, she wanted to leave but didn't know how to leave since she was cornered now.

"L-lucy, have this date with me and I'll give you your book back. I'll buy whatever you want." Natsu spoke up with his head turned to the wall. He had one hand under the table and the other tapping on the cover of her book.

Lucy bite her lip and picked up the menu in defeat. After a few minutes of scanning the menu she ordered a hamburger, fries, a slice of cake and a diet soda. Natsu cleared his throat and ordered an extra large meal of hamburger, fries, and soda. When the waitress wrote down everything she left saying that their order would be ready in 20 minutes.

Lucy turned her gaze to Natsu who was slouched back in his seat recovering. Seeing this the blonde let out a giggle which caught the man's attention.

"What's so funny?" He asked with narrow eyes.

"Oh nothing." She told him with a smirk that seemingly attracted the man more.

"Your sure fiesty Lucy, I'll give you that. But you know what, I think I can live with that." He said taking the blonde by surprise. Natsu laced his fingers together hiding his lips that had a growing smirk in place.

Lucy sat frozen in place blushing like a mad woman as his words replayed over and over again. She felt like a giddy school girl over a boy crush. She knows she has her own way of standing her ground but she felt unexpectedly weak to a man she only met last night.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue feisty Lucy? Don't worry I'll get that for you." The pinked haired man dropped his hands onto the table chuckling. He managed to catch the blushing woman's eyes before licking his own lips which only made her blush darken.

Before the man could tease her anymore his phone sounded throughout the establishment. Natsu grabbed his phone that was tucked away in his coat pocket.

"I'm sorry for the interruption of our date, but I have a call from work that I must answer." Natsu sent her an apologetic smile her way before turning to leave. He took a step forward before pausing and grabbing her prison book. "For insurance purposes." Was the only thing he said taking his leave.

Lucy blew a sigh of relief having time for her blush to calm down.

"Here you go hun. Your regular meal and the extra large one." The waitress came back with a smile on her face holding a tray at her shoulder she then began to set the plates in the respective places. When she finished she held the tray in front of her hesitant to leave.

Noticing this Lucy looked up mid attack from her fries, before she could even speak a word the waitress swallowed hard.

"Look hun, I know I shouldn't be saying anything but you should be careful with that boy your dinning with. He's some serious problems that a girl like you shouldn't be tangled with." The long green haired woman spoke in a very hushed voice looking toward the door a few times to ensure no one stepped in. She looked more hesitant before nodding her head and leaving.

Lucy sat there dumbfounded for a few minutes processing everything that's been told to her. She shook her head a few times before picking at her fries awaiting for the man's return.

It didn't take that long for Natsu to return.

"Oh the food finally came." He said with a wide smile settling back down in his seat ready to dig in.

"Mhm." Lucy responded back with fries in her mouth.


	6. Chapter 6

After they ate their meals Natsu insisted that they take a small walk outside. Lucy agreed reluctantly following the pink haired man who seemed to parade proudly with his menacing bat resting on his shoulder and her kidnapped book being swung carelessly.

"You look like an idiot." Lucy sneered crossing her arms underneath her ample chest.

"I'm almost insulted." The pink haired man chuckled walking along side her. He threw a soft smile her way before speaking once more. "Let's act more civil, shall we? Like what's your name?"

The young blonde woman looked at the man with a cautious expression before choosing to reply. "My names Lucy Heartfillia, what's yours?"

"I'm Natsu Dragneel." He replied nonchalant with a smirk adoring his face. It had Lucy blushing like the first time she saw him at the club. "So what does Ms.Hearfillia do in her everyday life?"

"I attend classes on weekdays, work part time all week, and relax at home when I'm free." The blonde responded back looking away from him.

"Woah aren't you a busy bee? Where do you work part time at? I'd love to drop by-"

"And annoy me while I work? No way."

"Oh Lucy how could you suspect that of me?"

"Because you were a nuisance in the past few hours that I been with you."

The pink haired man only chuckled to her annoyance of her analysis. Oddly enough he enjoyed her presence and having a decent conversation with her. She wasn't like anyone he ever encountered.

"I'm afraid to ask what you do daily?" She spoke up after a moment of comfortable silence. She continued to speak with a laugh trapped in her throat. "You were in a club the other night so let me guess your a player? You hit the clubs every night looking for some new girl, mooching off your inheritance from your parents, and your a slob who lives in an apartment. Am I getting hot or cold here?"

"We haven't even hanged out that long and you assume that much?" He chuckled before diliberately stepping in front of the blonde's walking path. A menacing serious demenor took over his goofy idiotic one. He looked at her with a cold emotionless stare. "I could be some killer that'll go after you in the snap of a finger. You might just be my next victim that I came across at the club. Or I could be doing some serious business on the black market selling off beautiful women like yourself. And I might be living a normal life to cover it all."

He spoke in a hush voice walking closer and closer with each word. The blonde looked at him with a frighten look backing away from his dead stare. She backed all the way to a tree where she shrunk in size as Natsu finished speaking. He smirked at her face, placing the items he was holding into one hand before leaning down to whisper something into her ear.

"You probably should watch out about who you speak to. Some day you might run into someone...dangerous." Natsu spoke moving a piece of hair behind her ear. "I won't want nothing to happen to a pretty girl like you."

He nuzzled his face at her neck taking in the scent of her fruity smelling perfume that drove him somewhat crazy. He lifted his head up and placed a kiss on her forehead before moving away leaving her confused.

Natsu took out his phone where he was greeted by a message from Gray who was questioning his where abouts. He sent a quick reply before looking at the blonde who composed herself.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" He asked holding up her book to get her attention.

"I-i think I'll manage on my own." She responded back with a shaky voice reaching out and grabbing the book.

"Could I see your phone for a minute?"

She looked at the man in front of her for a long minute before complying and handing her phone over. Natsu called his phone from hers and returned the device back.

"My numbers in your call log, why don't you call or text me sometime." He said tinkering with his own phone. "I'm sorry for shaking you up."

"I-i um it's fine." She said clutching her phone to her rapid beating chest.

"I have to get going." Natsu said with a wide smile. "I hope to see you around Luigi."

The blonde stared at him in confusion ripping her away from her stuttering state before bubbling up with anger seeing his figure almost out of site.

"IT'S LUCY YOU IDIOT!" She screamed out but after words blushing in pure embarrassment due to the amount of bystanders looking at her weirdly. "That idiots going to be the death of me."

She muttered to herself lifting her phone from her chest to see the number Natsu had called from her phone. She shock her head and created a contact for the pink haired headache of a man.

"Where have you been?" A voiced asked as soon as the pink haired man waltzed through the large double doors of the building.

The man in questioned looked up with a grin plastered on his face. He swung his bat from his shoulders placing it in an umbrella stand before walking over to answer him.

"I had some.. business to take care of." The pink haired man simply replied walking past the dark haired man, who gave him a questionable look, to the bar stool in front of a bar counter. "Gimme a beer Mira."

The woman behind the counter nodded her head obediently before rushing to comply to his order.

"Flame brain, we have business ourselves to take care of." The darker haired man began to say waving a manilla folder in his face to which where snatched from his hands by the young master. "Remember when I called earlier telling you about Sabertooth finding out what we did? Turns out that their bastard master sent them to wreck our turf. So far no one has been reported injured but it's only a matter of time before we get sneaked attacked."

Natsu looked over the papers that filled the folder and groaned in frustration. The bar woman named Mira came back and set a beer glass in front of him which he grabbed and drowned down.

"Ima drawl up some plans and set up some precautions to this. Tell everyone to be ready whenever." Natsu muttered somewhat to both the bar woman whom everyone hears everything from and Gray his friend/enemy also his comrade. They nodded and watched as the man stood taking the folder and beer with him to his office up stairs of their building.

"That poor man, he seems to never have any fun in his young life." Mira said sympathetically placing a hand to her cheek shaking her head slightly.

"Yeah that idiot doesn't know how to have fun much. He grew up too fast when we were younger." Gray said looking down remembering how his friend use to be. She nodded in acknowledgement to his words before proceeding to carry out orders of the others who waited at the bar counter.


	7. Chapter 7

"Natsu, I need to speak with you immediately." A stern voice called out.

A twelve year old pink haired boy clumsily ran to the front of the door, he paused before entering the room in slow strides moments later with a confessed look on his face as he stared around at his surroundings. He wasn't called into this room a lot, the study room was a room he wasn't to enter.

"Yeah dad?" He asked looking straight at the desk to the person occupying the chair that was facing the other way.

The chair then spun around to face him revealing a man with spiked red hair similar to the young boy's and dark black eyes that grown cold over the years, he had some facial hair grown along his jaw and chin. He was visibly much older than the boy with wrinkles and worry lines visible. The older man wore a black pen stripped suit with a red tie that complimented his hair. His cold black eyes soften up when he caught site of the boy standing there. He sighed heavily before standing up and walking around his desk to the boy.

"Natsu I think it's time you began to learn our family business so that you may operate it in your own image when your older." The man began.

"What's are family business dad?" Natsu asked confused once more.

"Come." The red head man said leading the pair to a small couch that was against the wall of his study. Once they were seated he began to speak once more. "Now Natsu what I am about to tell you, you might not understand nor should you be frighten by the things I say. The Dragneel family is a long line of business men in a sense. What we do is buisness, keeping people we care for safe. We are paid to protect establishments that requires our assistance. The Dragneel buisness has many people in there influence whether they are politicians or policeman; anyone who has some kind of authority over us, those people let us conduct our buisness like we want it. There are some who don't appreciate our buisness though remember that. We are a large organization with men that are loyal to us and only care to fulfill what our organization needs to accomplish. Those men help us protect and do our buisness. They help us do the 'dirty work' that must be done, their family. Their the reason why we are the biggest organization in this whole land which means we are the most rivaled upon among others. We are Dragon Lord."

The man declared proudly with a smile staring down at the young boy. Igneel Dragneel, the current master of Dragon Lord a guild established to run the streets of Fiore. He's become the most powerful and dangerous man among those that are his 'competition'.

"I started to learn the buisness when I was your age with my father before he passed away and I'll do the same for you. Everything I pass to you will be your own fortune." Igneel spoke softly in a regretful tone staring the boy down. He swallowed hard looking straight ahead. "Our guild is going to be very complicated to learn at your age but I know you'll do very well."

Natsu looked at his dad in a serious way before nodding his head. "Don't worry dad, I'll do my best to make you proud!"

Igneel chuckled at his son declaration patting him on the back. "I know you'll do fine. You always prove me wrong in the long run, haven't you Natsu?"

The boy only nodded his head in a playful matter that only made the man smile wide.

"Now Natsu as next in line to be guild master you'll endure lots more studying other than your school work. All your free time will be nothing but work." Igneel spoke in a soft matter again, there wasn't any other way he could speak to his son. He was his most important prize possession. He wanted to do nothing but protect him, though he knew he couldn't shield him from the world.

"Does that mean I can't go play with Gray and Happy when I want to?" The twelve year old boy questioned. He was very intelligent among his classmates even if he acted out a lot.

"I'm afraid not son." The older man said grimly.

"Oh." Natsu said in disappointment.

"Hey Natsu wanna come out and play with my new ball my dad got me?!" A raven haired boy asked standing on the porch with a bright blue ball in hand.

The pink haired boy in the open door way looked between the boy and the ball with a pained expression.

"I don't think I can come out today Gray."

"Why not? You always can't come out. It's been like 6 months since we played and at school doesn't count." The boy exclaimed with a pout. "Aren't we suppose to be friends?"

"W-we are. It's just I been busy..studying."

"Studying what? You been failing every test we take. And your usually the smart one between the two of us."

"Well I been busy with other things too."

"I bet you been busy with your other friends, flamebrain!"

"What other friend ice princess?!"

"Whatever, I'll fine someone else to play with since your too 'busy' to play." Gray said lastly before turning away with a 'hmp' leaving the boy shocked.

Natsu stared glumly at his best friends retreating form. He turned away and slammed the door closed. He walked to the dinning room table of his home and returned back to the papers of previous financial records of his father's guild. He began to calculate the numbers and then find the source of where their money went to and then see the difference from the year before that revenue as a sort of mathematical problem.

When he finished that he began to read a thick book that was filled with buisness jargon. He was busy craming words he hardly understood and even had notebooks for everything. He even had a notebook filled with jargons pertaining to his father's guild.

His dad had told him that once he had accomplished a year worth of studying and understanding of how buisness work then he could be taken on as an apprentice where he could be in the same room as his dad and helping him work real situations.

Half an hour later Igneel entered his home in his usual business attire with sleep in his eyes looking around for his son but hearing nothing but silence.

"Natsu?" He called out panic in his voice before looking into the usual places he would always find his son lurking which were the kitchen, his bedroom, and the TV room. He rushed into the dining room in defeat shaking with fear after looking into every room of the house. His frantically scanned the room until his eyes finally landed on his pink haired son who laid asleep on his books and papers.

"This boy will be the end of me, I swear in it." The man groaned lifting the boy into his arms. The older man carried the sound a sleep boy up the stairs into the boy's bedroom tucking him into bed. Igneel then walked back down the stairs and picked up his son's mess he left.

Stacking them into one single pile, he review all the papers that passed from his hands. "Huh, he sure has shown a lot of dedication. If only his work could reflect his character."

He only chuckled before leaving the pile on the table.

"Oh Natsu your making me proud alright."

His words echoed throughout the walls of the silent home only to be heard by the man who spoke them and the pink haired boy who sat at the top of the stairs listening, he then smiled sleepily before crawling back to his room and falling asleep again.


	8. Chapter 8

"If Sabertooth is stationed here, then this whole area I presume would be theirs." The young master strategied moving his hand along the map that was hung on the wall. "But who do I have that I can dispatch over there without making our forces here at the guild uneven?"

He walked over to the book case on the opposite side of the room and scanned the shelves.

"Where are those stupid papers? I know I put them here somewhere." The young master muttered pulling all sorts of binders full of paper out one at a time and scanning through them. "Nope, not this either."

The young man began to groan in defeat throwing himself in his big cushioned black leather chair. He looked around his office noting his half way made plans pinned on the board, the scattered papers on the ground in two piles, as well as a glass and a bottle of burben that sat proudly on his cleared desk. Rubbing his hands over his tired face, the man poured himself a glass of the liquor before downing it down. He raised his arms high looking at his watch seeing the time was 4 in the morning. The man had worked all day the day before and early morning. He proceed to stretch heavily until he heard a satisfying crack in his back.

"Why do I have to do all this?" He moaned reclining back in his seat closing his tired eyes to get some sleep. "I should make ice brains do this."

Once he got comfortable enough he let his mind wander as he began to doze off. He started to think about his plans for work, then to his father, and finally settled on the blonde woman who he only began to speak with. The young man began to snore softly finally happy and content enough to doze off.

A loud annoying noise erupted in the silent room visually disrupting the man from his slumber. He ignored it thinking the noise will die down but the ring only became more and more nerve racking to ignore. Jolting awake he looked around the room. He wasn't in his bedroom so it wasn't his alarm clock. He was residing in his office but the office phone wouldn't be ringing in this early hour of the morning. He dug into the pockets of his dark slacks and pulled out his ringing cell phone, without hesitation he tapped on his phone and answered with a low hello.

No one on the other line said a thing which only irritated the man.

"Stop messing around, who is this?" He growled into the device too tired to put up with games.

The only response he got was a soft moan with some inaudible mumbles.

The man turned a small shade of pink and choked on the saliva in his mouth before ending the call."Who was that?" He thought.

Checking through his call log he noticed the same number had called around noon the day before along with a few calls from Gray. It then instantly hit him. "That girl...L-lucy...she must have sleeped...called me?" He thought growing more pink.

Shaking his head the man sent a questioning text to the blonde woman before standing from his seat stretching once again.

"I suppose I should go home and get some sleep before getting bumbarded with more work." He muttered gathering his belongings and walking out his office leaving his previous work as it was.

The sun shined through the open blinds of the small bedroom where a blonde laid comfortably still on her bed. When the sun shined on her eyes she squeezed her eyes tightly before groaning in annoyance when sleep didn't wash over her again. Rolling onto her back she stifled a yawn and stretched out her limbs before reaching for her phone that laid at her side on the bed. She turned it on and swiped through all her apps before proceeding to view her messages.

'Hey blondie, don't sleep dial me again. I didn't give you my number to do that unless your hinting toward something then I'm free tonight ;)'

The blonde stared at her phone with her eyes practically bulging out her head. 'W-when did I even call him?' She thought immediately going to her call log to indeed confirm she had called him only a few hours earlier.

'I'm not hinting toward anything! You assume too much weirdo!' She texted back before dragging herself out of bed to the bathroom her face flushed pink from embarrassment.

"You've made yourself look like a fool Lucy to a guy you've met, good job!" She muttered to herself bundling her hair up into a bun before splash water on her face.

Lucy finished her morning routine and got dressed for the todays plans which involved going to work until eleven o'clock and then attending class until ten at night. She dressed in a black skirt that was one finger above her knee and a baby blue button up shirt paired with four inch black heels. The blonde then grabbed a muffin that sat on her kitchen counter and her school bag that laid on the floor and zoomed out the front door and out her apartment complex.

She walked at a slow pace while eating her breakfast and smiling brightly at anyone she saw walking along the sidewalk. Walking through the six blocks she finally made it to her destination where she stepped in and was greeted by smiles and good mornings. She walked to the back of the building and placed her belongings in a locker that she was assigned before grabbing a black apron and tying it around her waist.

Lucy worked at a high quality restaurant that only high class residents came in to dine. It wasn't her first choice for a job but the money and tips both paid well enough for her schooling.

The blonde grabbed a small pad of paper and pen before walking out to the dinning room area and surveying the room taking note of which patrons sat in her section for the day. She saw two men sitting together in a booth with menus still in hand. Lucy walked over to them with a smile spread wide on her face.

"Good morning, how are you all doing today?" She asked looking at the men before raising her pad up. "Are you ready to order?"

One of the men seated at the table chuckled lightly before giving her a smile that showed off his pointed canine teeth proudly.

"Yeah we're ready."


	9. Chapter 9

"Sting don't let those couple of wins get over your head." A dark haired male said sternly. "If you keep on being cocky our plans for take over are out the window."

The man addressed as Sting sucked on his teeth letting a 'tch' escape his lips looking out the window avoiding the dark haired man's eyes.

"I know that already Rouge. Listen I may be young and inexperienced without someone like my dad or your dad to guide either of us. But look at us, we practically got that crummy guild falling at our feet!" The blonde man smirked grabbing his coffee mug that was set in front of him. He grabbed the mug and took a small sip. "Soon this whole city will be ours and we'll be the most feared guild."

"Your so full of yourself." Rouge muttered picking at the remainder of his food on his plate.

Sting only chuckled and rested his head on the palm of his hand. He watched the other patrons of the establishment enjoying their breakfast and the waiters walking around going in and out of doors. His eyes lingered on a few women waitresses that had purposely stayed around him and ever so often looking up to meet his gaze or throw a smile his way. He didn't mind the attention women like them gave him, he just enjoyed it so much more. But one waitress didn't do what the rest did and that's what intrigued him. She was a blonde with a wide smile that didn't seem fake. Her eyes were chocolate brown that were entrancing. She had the most curvaceous body he seen with a big bust, wide hips, and a firm looking butt.

"Are you done? We have business to get to." Rouge asked finishing the rest of his juice.

"Huh?" The man asked absently staring at the blonde waitress.

"Let's go, she's too young for you." The dark haired man said taking a few bills out his wallet and setting them on the table.

He received a groan from the blonde man but was followed promptly afterwards.

They walked down the concrete path into the bustling streets of the city in its early morning hour. Not much activity goes on during the day as it does during the night. The pair walked in silent slowly walking from the active streets to a more quieter secluded area of the city they claimed as thir property.

"So what business did we need to attend to again?" Was asked breaking the silence.

Rouge sighed at his partner's forgetfulness nature. "We have to go back to the guild and dispatch a few groups to cover our tails to prevent sneak attacks."

The blonde nodded in understanding before they looked at the people emerging from buildings quickly. The two men were bewildered by what was happening and quicken their pace to their guild hall that was a couple more miles down. They eventually stopped when a group of three men approached the dark haired and blonde men. The other people that emerged from the buildings slowly encircled the two men.

"What's going on?" Sting demanded growling when the three men smirked happily. "Who sent you?"

"You know well and good who sent our assess down here. And by his orders he wanted us to 'damage and rearrange the faces of the men who harmed our comrades'. It's an eye for an eye but this eye we're taking is a big price." A man with long black hair who stood proudly in the middle of the group of three said with a chuckle seeing the two men take a defensive position. "Now, now, don't get so vulnerable."

The two men scrunched their brows in confusion before getting grabbed on by the men who circled them. The long haired man smirked clenching both his fist before jamming them into the blonde and dark haired man.

Sting and Rouge both clenched their teeth glaring at the men in front of him.

"Go tell your shit head master he's gonna pay for this." Sting growled before receiving a punch in the face by the smirking man.

"I'll gladly report that after we pumle your face in." The man responded back throwing another fist into the blonde's face. He then backed away and signaled with his fingers for the remainder of the men in his command to take part in beating the two men. The black haired man laughed clearly amused by the scene displayed in front of him.

A ring sounded through the groans and thuds of the area alerting the man.

"Hello?" He answered in a gruff voice turning away from the malicious beating.

"Did you guys find them?" A voice asked sternly.

"Yeah we did." The man responded before turning back around and walking in front of Sting who had been thrown to the ground and now being kicked and stomped on. He smirked once more and crouched down to the blonde's level. "And I have a message from one of them. He said that our shit head master's gonna pay for this."

"Oh really?" The voice laughed in amusement. "Make sure they get dropped off at their place with a bow on top."

"Alright Salamander will do." The man said with a chuckle, he ended the call and stood up staring the bruised man down. "Looks like we're going on a small trip."

He stood back up and motioned for his men to take the two battered men and follow him. The black haired man pointed to a black suv that skidded to a stop. The men put the two men in the back seat where two other people grabbed a hold of them while the black haired man seated himself in the passanger seat of the vehicle. The vehicle then began to move down the quiet path into a more active part of the area.

"Their stop is coming up! Get ready to make the drop off." The man commanded nearing the block.

They inched closer to a tall building that looked rather like a home then a place of operation. The doors of the vehicle opened and the blonde and dark haired man were thrown out tumbling to a stop on the hard cement ground. The doors were closed immediately and the vehicle zoomed away from that scene.

The black haired man pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"The deed was done, we're heading back to the guild now."

"Alright, be careful out there though. As soon as they find out who did this they'll be on your tail."

"Even if they attempt it, I'll be one step ahead. Gihi." The black haired man declared grinning mischievously.


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey Lucy, what's up?" The young guild master asked in a flirtatious manner into the phone only to hear the said girl hmp in response.

"I'm trying to study, ever heard of that?" She grumbled in annoyance.

"Oh I have, but it's not my style ya know."

"Maybe you should try it. It can boost your intelligence."

"Ooh your a wild one Luce." The man chuckled. "I wonder how wild you are in the sheets."

He heard the girl cough continously before clearing her throat and practically growl into the phone.

"Shut your face Dragneel! Keep your thoughts to yourself."

"Whatever you say Lucy. But hey, do you wanna have some lunch tomorrow?"

"Huh?" The blonde asked confused.

"Do you, Lucy Heartfillia, wanna grab some lunch tomorrow with me, the dashing Dragneel?"

"Is this another ploy to get in my pants again idiot?"

"That was a one time accident - attempt!"

"Why are you calling it an attempt then?!"

"Because I was trying to touch your butt but not lift your dress up."

"Why do I even bother to speak with you."

"Because I grew on you babe." He said throwing his head back reclining in the chair he sat in. "Now about lunch?"

The other end was quiet for a few moments before the blonde sighed to herself and began to speak again. "I'm free around one-thirty tomorrow but other then that I have classes all afternoon."

"I'm good with whatever time you tell me as long as I get to spend it with you."

"N-natsu! Be quite!"

"Oo someone's acting more civil with me now." He teased only to receive more stuttering from the blonde on the phone.

"I-I have to go, I need t-to study for tomorrow."

"I'll text you where to met up unless you want me to pick you up?"

"S-sure, I'm cool w-with that. Bye."

And the line went dead after that adding more to Natsu's amusement.

He placed his cell phone down on his bed side table and leaned back against the headboard of his bed. The young man let out a sigh of content and smiled happily. He was never this happy before weather it was hanging out with his friends or when his father was still here. He just knew this feeling erupting in his chest was nice and pleasant and he didn't want it any other way. And the cause of it all was the blonde girl he got interested in one night that turned out to still play a role in his life for the next five months. Between the stress of the guild and his position as master nothing seem to knock him off when he spoke with her.

And he knew he grew on her too. They would text and call each other non stop to a point that it became natural. When she didn't work or didn't go to school they'd have some kind of plan in place like going to her favorite book store where Lucy would talk animatedly about her favorite books or a new book that caught her interest in which a fight would break out about Natsu buying said book for her.

Lucy would yell at him for something stupid, fight with him about something small, hit him upside the head for some comment, but usually she would laugh at all his jokes, smile constantly, and all of those little details add on to the things he likes about her that drew him clouser.

The pink haired man slid into the covers of his bed and got comfortable enough to sleep letting his mind drift toward the blonde.

The alarm blared much to the annoyance of the pink haired man who tried to shield his ears from the noise with his pillow.

"Go away." The man groaned trying to let sleep take over once again.

A blue cat clawed his way up onto the bed resting at the man's feet before waltzing up to the man's pillow covered head. The cat began to meow softly trying to get his owner's attention only to be pushed off repetitively by the man. Growing irritated by the lack of attention the blue cat raised a paw up, drew out his claws and swiftly set his claw on the man's back. The pink haired man jumped up quickly at the sudden pain and looked around the room for the perpetrator before narrowing his eyes at the cat.

"Happy." He muttered turning his alarm off. He looked at the time and sighed. "Breakfast time right?"

The cat stared up at his owner with his tail moving happily in response.

"Of course it is." Natsu said scratching his head before walking out his master bedroom and into the kitchen.

He opened his fridge and pulled out a package of fresh fishes and a cartoon of milk. He laid two fishes in a bowl with 'Happy' written in a child's handwritting and poured the milk in the bowl beside the first. Natsu watch the cat skip happily into the kitchen and proceed to devour his meal. Sighing to himself he turned his coffee maker on and walked back into his bedroom to the connected bathroom.

Natsu peel his shirt off and examined the fresh claw marks on his back along with a few other marks that were about a week old still in the process of healing the broken skin. "Stupid cat."

He undressed himself and got into the shower cleansing himself for the new day. Once finished he wrapped a towel around his waist and walked over to his sink to wash his teeth. He dried and brushed a comb thru his hair. The pink haired man then walked back into his bedroom and threw on his usual attire that consist of a black business suit with a blood red button up shirt that had the first three buttons undone. He put his wrist watch on, tugged his leather shoes on, grabbed his cell phone from the bed side table, and walked back out to the kitchen to find Happy done with his fishes now drinking his milk.

"Today sure is going to be a long one." Natsu said aloud to himself as he poured a cup of coffee. He drank the content down slowly not being bother by the heat of the liquid. Once finished he set the mug in the sink and check the time. "Great, it's going to be extra long now with ice princess on my tail." He grumbled walking toward the front door. He put his wallet into his pocket and held his keys in hand.

"Happy you be good now or no big fish later." Natsu called out hearing a meow in response. He then proceeded to walk out and lock the door behind him before walking down the path away from the house.


	11. Chapter 11

When were we having lunch?

Whenever your free.

Well my last lecture for the day is almost over.

I'll be down there then.

Natsu looked up from his phone with a goofy grin plastered on his face. He placed his phone into his pocket and stretched out his arms before groaning at all the papers litering his desk in front of him.

The young master stood up and walked out of his office to the main room of his guild hall that was filled with his men drinking the day away until they were fell flat on their backs. He approached the bar where he was greeted by a smiling short haired woman.

"Atsu, it's been a while since you came out that office of yours." The short haired woman said as the pinkette sat at a bar stool.

"Eh, I been working on a lot of stuff lately."

"Ah I see, well dont work yourself to death. You know half the members think your an old man only because you rarely show your face."

"How flattering of them." Natsu rolled his eyes at the comment. "Gimme a beer."

The woman nodded her head and reached for a cup filling it up with beer from the pump. She set it in front of him before resting her elbows on the counter and placing her head in her palms watching the pinkette take a sip of his beverage.

"Hey Natsu."

"Yeah Lis?" He asked back staring down at the beverage. When he didn't hear an answer he looked up at the white hair girl who seemed to be lost in her thoughts while biting on her lip. "Is something wrong?"

"O-oh nothings wrong b-but I wanted to ask you something."

He motioned her to continue speaking while he drank another sip of his beer.

"When I'm around you, I uh get this tight heart thumping feeling in my chest. It makes me feel sick and nervous and act funny being around you. I-i think I like you Natsu and-d I was wondering if you return those same feelings since when things got.." She whispered so only that he heard her. Her eyes looked at his face before darting quickly to the ground a dark blush forming on her cheeks.

"I gotta go." He mumbled downing the rest of his beer and hopping off the bar stool in one swift motion then walking out of the guild hall.

I'll wait for you in front of the school idiot.

Natsu stifled a laugh while reading the message over before texting the recipient back. He placed his phone back on the console and placed his hands on the steering wheel waiting for the green light. Once he saw green he pressed down on the accelerator and drove on.

He turned and drove slowly along the curve in front of a building with people walking all over, until he stopped at the blonde who was fiddling with her small pigtails.

Natsu parked before reaching over and opening the door for her. "Hello m'lady."

Lucy scooted on the passagers seat and shut the door close behind her. "Hey creep."

"Seriously Lucy? After everything we been through you still don't show me any love." The pink hair man asked teasingly with a playful pout on his lips.

"Shut it pinkie, isn't it enough I'm in this car with you for lunch." The college girl responded with a small smile on her lips. She put her seat belt on and threw her book bag in the backseat. "So where are you taking me?"

"Now that my lovely bimbo is a surprise." The man said with a grin before turning away and pulling away back onto the road.

"Bimbo?" She sneered smacking the man in the head. "This is why we can't act civil."

"Luigi stop or you'll make us crash." The pinkette said aloud in a mock sterious voice that cracked from him holding in his chuckle.

"Natsu your asking for it." Lucy screeched slouching in her seat with her arms crossed over her chest.

The said man looked at the girl who was looking out the window with a pout on her lips. She turned her head slightly in his direction but quickly looked back out the window with the same pout. He immediately felt a thumping sensation in his chest as he continued to drive down the streets.

'This feeling hurts? It's too weird.' He thought with a smile spreading on his lips.


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey Natsu." Lucy asked staring at the pinkette who was busy cutting into his steak. He looked up at the blonde who stopped eating and stared at him. "You never told me about yourself from the longest I known you."

Natsu smirked and sipped on his soda before speaking. "And why the sudden interest in me Luce?"

"I-i just thought I should know more about the guy that bugs me nonstop." The blonde spoke quickly picking her fork back up and picking at her chicken. "If you don't want to talk about it's fine."

"Well where do I begin, I was born and raised here in Magnolia by my dad. I never really knew my mom but I was just fine with that. My dad was the bestest growing up." He began smiling at the thought. Natsu looked at Lucy who seemed interested so far. "I have a cat named Happy, I had him ever since he was a kitten. My dad gave me Happy only because I whined so much about wanting a dragon, so to shut me up he put Happy in a paper mache egg and told me it was a dragon egg that fell from the sky."

"That's so cute." Lucy placed her hand over her mouth and giggled which only made the pinkette grin.

"Yeah my friends thought it was awesome too."

"So what do you do for a living?" The blonde asked picking a piece of chicken up and eating it.

"I work in a business that serves the community." He replied cutting into his steak once more. "It's a low profile kind of business."

"That's pretty cool, I wouldn't suspect that from you."

"And why not?"

"Because you look so young." Lucy let out a giggle that only made Natsu smile more.

"And how about you Ms. Lucy, are you gonna tell me more about you?" The young master asked staring at the blonde who seem hesitant about speaking.

"Well I moved here to Magnolia about a year ago to attend college." She began to say but closed her mouth.

"Got any family?" Natsu asked continuing to eat.

He waited a few minutes and noticed the frown that adorn her face. She stared at her hands that were in her lap not daring to say a word.

"Lucy-" The pinkette began to say but was cut off.

"My mom died a few months after I left and I heard my dad gotten sick." She said softly.

Natsu reached over and grabbed Lucy's hand from under the table. The sudden contact shocked the blonde but she allowed it. She smiled up at the man who smiled back with his goofy grin.

"I don't have that many friends here and my one friend Michelle back home has her own problems so I haven't been able to tell anyone." She whispered trying to hold back tears that threaten to fall out.

"And what does that make me?" He joked rubbing his thumb along her delicate hand. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"Yes please." Lucy answered looking at him with one of her happy smiles that brightened up her brown eyes.

Natsu waved over a waiter asking for the bill all the while he tried to ignore the thumping feeling in his chest that refused to stop.


	13. Chapter 13

"Would you like to come inside Natsu?" Lucy asked the said man who was gripping the steering wheel hard.

"Uh yeah sure." The pinkette said putting the car in park and pulling his keys out. He pocketed his keys into his pocket and followed Lucy who began to walk the stairs of the apartment complex.

The pair stopped in front of a door to which Lucy unlocked with her keys. Natsu stepped into the apartment and looked around in awe of how small the room was but had the home like feeling.

The living room area had a small television, a two seater, and a book shelf covered with books. There were very few photos hung on the walls. The kitchen was no different containing a small bowl of front on the counter and kitchen related decoration. Everything was simple and ordinary.

Natsu walked over to the book shelf and picked up a thick book while Lucy walked off putting away her bag.

"Ya know Luce, I need to give you an intervention for this." The pinkette said tapping on the book when the girl reappeared at his side.

Lucy smacked him on the arm and took the book away placing it once again on the shelf. "Said the guy who feeds my addiction."

Natsu took his coat off and left it on the couch arm rest as he began to roam the room looking at the framed pictures.

"Would you like something to drink? I got water, juice or soda." Lucy called out walking to the kitchen.

"Some juice is alright with me." He answered back staring at the pictures.

The pictures had Lucy at different stages of her life. There was one of her in high school uniform hugging a girl who had long dark blonde hair and wore the identical uniform.

There was another of her, younger than the first picture, she was surrounded by a woman with blue hair dressed in a flowy blue dress, a pink haired girl in a maid outfit, a small chubby smiling woman and an old man with his white mustache shaped like crosses at the end.

His eyes then landed on a photo of a small chubby cheeked smiling Lucy sitting on the lap of a smiling dirty blonde man with a mustache and a beautiful blonde smiling woman hugging the two from behind.

"That's my mom, dad, and me."

He turned and saw Lucy standing with a cup in hand smiling sadly at the photo.

"You look real cute." He said taking the cup she handed him. "I wonder where those chubby cheeks went to."

"You jerk." She giggled hitting his shoulder.

Natsu smiled and threw his arm around her shoulders which made the blonde blush slightly.

"That's alright, when you get mad I can see those cheeks." He chuckled when he felt the girl slap his chest. "Awe Luce your so cruel!"

Lucy scoffed at his comment and took a seat on her couch. "Why did I let you in again idiot?"

"Cause you appreciate my presence." The pinkette claimed with a grin.

The blonde watched the young man roam around her living room examining the few photos she had hung and commenting about them. Once his examination was done he took a seat next to Lucy.

"Can we watch TV Lucy?" Natsu asked innocently eyeing the TV then gazing at the blonde.

"How about you go home and watch it there?" She said sweetly.

The pinkette narrowed his eyes at the girl before leaning in toward her which both surprised and shocked her. Lucy scooted away from him assuming he was reaching over her but Natsu pushed himself on top of her, straddled her hips and placed his hands on both sides of her head. The pinkette leaned his head closer to her face close enough so that Lucy could smell the fruit punch juice that she had given him. She went wide eyed feeling him against her in the most intimate way. He smirked at her face and moved up kissing her forehead before reaching over and grabbing something from behind her head. The blonde stared at him shock as he pulled back with a goofy smile.

"How about Luce lets me do what I want." He stated showing her the remote in his hands while getting comfortable on the couch.

After a moment of registering what happened in her head she furrowed her brows and smacked the man's leg with all her might.

"Natsu you idiot!" She yelled out tucking her legs under her to stare the man down.

"What did I do?" The pinkette cried out tearing his gaze from the tv to her. "What happen to being civil Luce?"

"That's long been thrown out the window when you tri-" Lucy began her rant but was cut off by an arm wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her to the blood red shirt that filled her nose with a powerful sent.

"Why don't you just calm down and enjoy our time together." He told her in his smooth voice.

Lucy looked up at the man, who had his eyes glued to whatever was playing on tv yet had his arm firmly secured on the blond. She didn't see him joking around in any way nor did he appear to have any other intentions. So she took his advice and got comfortable resting her head on his chest and extending her legs over his legs staring at the tv screen.

While Lucy stared at the screen, Natsu sat comfortably with his arm around the girl but still unbelievably nervous.

'I'm sorry Lisanna, but I think Lucy makes my heart tight and makes me so nervous to be around her.' The pinkette thought back at what the white hair girl told him earlier in the day. He looked down at the blonde who appeared to be comfortable and content in her current position in his arms. 'Is this how it feels to like someone? Or fall in love?'


	14. Chapter 14

"Flame brain where did you run off to?!" The annoyed dark hair boy bellowed. He entered the office space of the young guild master only to see him space off more than usual. "Are you even paying attention anymore?"

"Huh?" Was the response of the absent minded pinkette who laid back in his seat staring out the window.

Gray groan in irritation and spun his chair around to face him. "What has gotten into you lately. You haven't been doing your guild master duties lately and that slack is really showing. Some of the guys out here are on the border line of leaving this place and going else where like Sabertooth for example. Do you not know how bad that'll be on us, to have former members who could leak our information out?!"

Natsu glared at his best friend before turning back around to the window, sadness washing over his mind. The guild his father had run all these years will be for nothing if he didn't start acting right again. But then again his chest will start to ache over the blonde who's presences seem to control his heart.

"You know I'm your friend first before comrade. What's wrong with you lately?" The dark hair man asked his tone softening at the site of his friend.

'Maybe I don't have to keep her a secret from everyone and she could be here more and then I could be able to concentrate more.' The pinkette reasoned with himself. He knew it sounded selfish but for once he wanted to do something for himself. 'Baby steps first.' He thought looking toward his friend who stood beside him with a worried face.

"Gray." He began with a sigh watching everything happening on the outside.

"Yeah man?" Gray pressed on.

"I-I met this girl a while back and I been seeing her for a while now." Natsu let whatever sentences that were formulate out not sure if they made any sense. "We hung out a whole lot and..."

He trailed off when he spotted a couple in the far distance holding hands as they walked, both smiling and the girl clinging to the boys arm lovingly. He only imagined if Lucy would be the same with him.

Gray furrowed his brows trying to understand what his friend ranted on about that has him choked up. The pink hair man he knew was a idiot in most cases but with a female who wasn't his play thing of the night or day. He knew this was far different.

Natsu turned his chair to face his friend with a pained expression on his face. "I-I think I'm in love."


	15. Chapter 15

"Oh N-natsu~" The woman underneath the man moaned out loud.

The man smirked against her neck before continuing to ravish her neck with bites and kisses. He let his hands roam up and down her semi clothed body. He raised one of the woman's legs up and rested it on his hip as he grinded against her lower region.

"What baby?" The man asked in a husky tone looking down at the woman who seemed to be melting under his gaze.

"I. Need. You." She huffed out leaning up on her elbows looking his straight in the eyes with her own that grew darker with desire.

She reached up with one hand and grabbed his neck pulling his face down enough for her lips to met his. They both attacked each other's lips with desperate need before breaking apart and panting heavily.

Natsu practical torn off his crisp white button up shirt and black slack in an instant leaving himself in his boxers. The woman bite her lip seductively gesturing for the man to come to her. He did just that, letting his hands fall back onto the woman's body once more.

The door was abruptly slammed open with the pinkette man striding out with a woman clinging to his waist. The man had his clothes disheveled but he had a wide smirk plaster on his face.

The pair walked close enough to the guilde door exit with few heads turning their way and whispering in hush tones.

"You should call me later baby." The woman said twirling a piece of her light blue hair around her finger while staring up at the pinkette's cold hard eyes.

"We'll see." The man chuckled tapping lightly at the hand that held onto his shirt.

The bluenette raised her head up and kissed his cheek before turning and walking away swaying her hips.

Natsu walked toward the bar where several people looked up and away from him.

"One beer, Mira." The pinkette requested from the bar woman who nodded obediently.

"Dude you reek." A lazy voice spoke up.

Natsu turned toward the source and smirked.

"Don't be jealous Gray. You know it's easy, just go into a bar or club, chat up a few girls that catch your eye and bam. You snag some sugar for the night." The pinkette laughed watching the dark hair man's face scrunched up in disgust.

"Dude you seriously need to quit this act, it's getting disgusting especially when you bring them into your office." Gray said taking a swing at his beer.

"Whatever man." Natsu scoffed grabbing the beer that was set in front of him and chugging it down.


	16. Chapter 16

"I told you not to get cocky about those wins, now look where we are now. Trapped." The raven hair man stated with his arms crossed seated on the chairs in front of the desk. "Now what genius?"

"Shut up Rouge, don't you think I'm working out it. Why don't you help out for once instead of talking me down like my dad." The blonde growled out examining documents and maps that were laid out in front of him.

"You lay out battle plans and I'm the one that strategies so we don't get into a mess like this one Sting!" The man growled back leaning forward and slamming his hands on the desk.

Both men stared each other down before looking away. Sting continued his examination and Rouge continued to sit back in his seat.

"Those idiot in Dragon Lord are nothing. Sabertooth are the real power in Magnolia." Sting muttered scribbling notes onto a pad of paper.

Rouge scoffed in agreement. "We know that their making sneak attacks on us in the shadows. Meaning that they have people stationed where they see us but we don't. Maybe we can take that to our advantage and eliminate their forces because you can't keep your guild unprotected unless you're a complete idiot."

Sting looked up wide eyed at the raven hair man before smirking.

"This is why we're co-masters, we have the smarts and bronze to run this place." The blonde looked down at the map and scribbled on it. "With that idea in mind it changes everything. Will time each attack and knock them out one by one, and they won't be the wiser."

Both men smirked at the idea and nodding in agreement.


	17. Chapter 17

"Oh look who it is, Salamander deciding to grace me with his call." Gajeel chuckled into the receiver of his cell phone. The long hair man turned away from the other man he stood with stuffing his unoccupied hand into his pocket.

"Tch, don't flatter yourself metal mouth. Gray forced me into checking on everyone stationed." The man on the other line sighed. "So statue update."

"We traded shifts a little over five or six hours ago. There no movements or anything, just people going in and out none of them being those idiot masters." The dark hair man said looking over his shoulder at his previous spot.

"That's good." The man said. "Well I guess I should check on the-"

"Gajeel get down, get down!" The dark hair man's partner yelled out with fired shoots sounding in the stile night.

With wide eyes Gajeel complied throwing himself down to the ground. Shots were being aimed carelessly around their surroundings missing the two men purposely. He watched in horror as one of the bullets managed to lodge itself into his partner's arm. Screams of pain filled his ears watching the man wither to the ground in pain. Gajeel felt around for his gun that was tucked securely at the waist band of his pants. He drew it out ready to shoot in the direction of the shots but before he could his hand was shot at making him release the gun.

"Poor Gajeel, so defenseless." A voice spoke up chuckling.

The said man growled at the voice ignoring the stinging sensation he felt going through his hand.

"Gajeel? Hey, what happen man? Gajeel?!" Incoherent shouting from the phone sounded.

The dark hair man gritted his teeth at the device before he noticed foot steps approaching it. They reached down plucking it off the ground.

"He can't talk right now, he's a bit busy." A different voice spoke into the cellular device before dropping it to the ground again and stepping on it hard with their shoe.

"Pay back is very painful but we need you to pass a small message." The first voice said in a mocking manner.

He stared hard at the two dark figures, his eyes widening in shock realizing who they were. Before he knew it Gajeel felt a hard hit to the back of his head knocking him to his knees.

"I need someone over where Gajeel was stationed now!" The pinkette bellowed out from above the room full of happy people drinking.

Silence filled the room before a group of three men stood up abruptly and headed out without another word. The young master moved away from the rail back into his office slamming the door shut behind him. He began to pace in front of his desk, his head filing through his thoughts.

"Natsu what happened?" A voice asked invading his thoughts.

He stopped the pacing and looked up to see his raven hair friend and the white hair bar woman.

"Gajeel got ambushed, I heard shots being fired. And then one of those bastards said he was busy." Natsu explained getting more infuriated and impatient by every word.

"We have to call everyone back if they already spotted him." Gray immediately thought rushing to the pinkette's desk and dialing onto the phone.

"Natsu here." Mirajane said softly handing his a bottle of beer which he took and chugged it down.

There was a hard slam on the desk that made Natsu and Mira turn quickly around to see Gray paling.

"What happened?" The pinkette asked stepping slowly toward him.

"They were all ambushed, Lyon and Jura noticed what happen and got away before they got attacked. Everyone was beaten, some shot, some stabbed but nothing life threatening." Gray said softly staring down at the ground. "Lyon said he got to Gajeel who was pretty battered up. Gajeel said they had a message."

"What did they say?" The young master asked getting impatient.

"'We know about each and everyone of them, we aren't scared to go after everyone.'"

Natsu's dark eyes went wide before storming out the room and screaming out orders from the rail. Mira covered her mouth in shock while Gray stayed frozen in place.


	18. Chapter 18

Lucy pouted staring at her phone intensely that rested on her nightstand for the last five minutes before turning away concentrating back at the book in her lap.

'It's been awhile since I heard anything from him maybe I could..' She though laying back onto her back letting the book fall to the ground. 'No this is stupid, what has gotten into me?'

Her eye lid felt heavy as sleep began to slowly come over her but her phone began to buzz from her bedside waking her up once again.

"Natsu?" She whispered to herself grabing the cellular device before smiling happily reading the caller id. She answered without hesitation. "Hey."

"Hey Luce, missed me?" The voice on the other line asked somewhat tirely.

"Not in your dreams." The blonde snorted missing his cocky nature.

"Ouch that hurt a lot. Maybe I should ignore you for a while more, Looney."

"You've been ignoring me on purpose?!" Lucy asked abruptly sitting up with a scowl on her face.

"Funny how you didn't notice the name."

"Funny how you're an idiot."

She smiled at the sound of his chuckle but frown when a yawn came after it. "Are you tired or something?"

"A bit, I've been working overtime a lot lately." She heard him sigh from the other end of the line.

"Don't be so reckless, you need your sleep." Lucy exclaimed which only humored the man.

"Jeez Luce you sound like my dad." He commented.

"Well I'm glad I'm not him, I won't be able to survive a headache like you for 19 years."

"Aw Luce you think I'm that young? How flattering." Natsu joked chuckling. "I'm actually a solid 26."

"You could have fooled me. You act like a child."

"That's why you love meh Lucshe."

The blonde giggled happily into the phone. "Shut up."

"Anywho, how you been? Keeping those grades up as usual?" The pinkette asked nonchalantly.

"I'm been great, my grades are the same as always." She responded back curling up into a ball on her side. "How have you been?"

"Working my tail off." He answered with a sigh. She heard him move around before settling down somewhere.

"Are you going to sleep soon yet?" She asked with the pinkette invading her thoughts.

"Uh maybe, I have to see if my body let's me." He said pausing for a minute. "Shouldn't you be going to bed before it gets late? I know you have some morning classes that you need sleep for. I hope I didn't wake you up"

The blonde blushed at his thoughtful words before smiling even when she knew he couldn't see. "No you didn't wake me, I was struggling to sleep anyway."

"Maybe I should come over and put you to sleep." Natsu said in a raspy voice that made Lucy shiver in delight.

"How about you stay on the phone till I fall asleep." The blonde suggested. "It's more easy and less of a hassle."

"Whatever you want princess." Natsu said in the same voice. She heard more russling in the background until it was silent. "Well are you ready for bed firstly?"

"Um hold on." Lucy mumbled standing up and pulling back her comforter then settled herself in. She turned the lamp off that was the only source of light in the room. She plugged her phone up and curled back up with the device to her ear. "Now I am. Now you."

"Now me what?"

"Natsu~ you gotta get ready, you're suppose to sleep with me." Lucy pouted with a yawning escaping her lips.

"Aye princess Luce." He said with a laugh. She heard russling sounds once more before it settled down. "Ok I'm good here, now sleep."

"Don't tell me what to do." Lucy giggled when she heard the man let out a frustrated sigh.

"Oh my little Luce, you'll be the death of me I swear upon it." Natsu huffed.

"I don't belong to you." The blonde said imagining the goofy face he would have done by her comment alone.

She let out another yawn blinking her eyes a few times. On the other line she heard the man yawn as well before groaning tiredly.

"Go to sleep Luce or I'll go over and make sure you sleep." Natsu growled out. "I didn't agree for you to make me go to sleep."

"But-"

"Close your eyes." He commanded in a soothing matter.

Lucy grumbled a bit before doing as told. She listened to his soft breathing and slowly let herself get hypnotized by it.

"Night night Natsu~" She hummed drifting to sleep dreaming of the pinkette.

Natsu took a deep breath. "Night princess, I love you." The pinkette then drifted to sleep with a smile plastered on his face.


	19. Chapter 19

"Gray I'm starting to worry."

The raven hair boy raised a brow and peered down to the pinkette who was busy reading through the content of a binder.

"About what?" The man asked taking a seat on the young master's desk while fiddling with papers in his hand. "I'm surprised your even worried to begin with. It's unusual of you."

"Remember that girl I told you about?" Was the only thing Natsu said before getting up and walking to a map posted on his office wall.

"Oh yeah, the girl that got you whipped." Gray mumbled pausing from his work. "You want me to set up some sort of security for the misses?"

"Yeah and set some up for other members who got loved ones. We don't need those bastards getting at us with cheap shots."

"Alright, I'll go do that then." Gray collected all his papers and left the room in a haste.

The pinkette ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily settling back down in his chair. The arising situation with their biggest rivals has escalated beyond proportions. Their rival had already found out of the two man squads set up around their guild building, and took them out with ease. All of Sabertooth's goons took it upon themselves to knock every Dragon Lord member off the streets with force. They started to push onto territory that wasn't theirs yet they claimed it for themselves. All of this happened overnight on the Dragon Lord's young master's watch. But he was too occupied with his time on a particular blonde college student who he found to be captivated by more than he ever was with any other woman.

He gazed down at his desk with paper reports of injured members, that keep increasing, and damages they have to pay because of Sabertooth. His eyes lingered on a frame that stood proudly on his plain desk.

The frame contained a picture from one of Natsu's games he plays on Lucy. He remembered that day clearly. They went for a walk during the blonde's lunch break by her school. While they joked and talked, the pinkette slipped his hand into her purse and took her cellphone. He grabbed the blonde by the shoulders and started to take pictures much to the girls dislike. It was only in the last few pictures that the girl smiled truly into the camera. He took it upon himself to print a photo out and frame it. The smile on her face was the only thing motivating him when he sat at his desk without her company.

The ring from his office phone brought him out of his daze. He stared at it for a moment before answering it.

"Hello?" Natsu answered annoyed turning in his chair to face the window.

"Don't I feel so lucky for you to answer the phone oh powerful Dragon Lord master." A cocky nonchalant voice answered back mockingly. "I'm quivering in my boots."

He heard a couple of chuckling in the background. The sound started to anger the pinkette.

"Who the hell is this?" He growled into the phone.

"Who do you think?" The voice said back. "We're the only people actually beating your ass since eight years ago if I'm correct."

"Gimme a name so I have a head to knock off." Natsu demanded seething with anger.

"The names Sting Eucliffe but I think you know it all too well. That friend of yours should know my name better though." The caller said with a chuckle.

Flashbacks of his wounded friend slash comrade flashed in his mind. 'So he's the one.' He instantly thought.

"Anyways, I wanted to inform you that we have yet to show you the true power of Sabertooth. And I suggest you surrender to us now or we will use force to bring you all to your knees." The man known as Sting stated before chuckling. "Better make up your mind fast, the clocks ticking before our next plan goes into motion. And I know you won't like what happens next."

The line went dead after Sting had finished his threat. Natsu glared at the phone in his hands and threw the phone along with the reciver off his desk in a fit of anger. He walked straight for the door and slammed it wide open.

"Gray. Gajeel. Meeting now!" The pinkette roared out the door.


	20. Chapter 20

"Oh hey Michelle, I was wondering when you'll ever call me again." Lucy spoke happily into her cell phone. She laughed a bit as she listened to her friend babble on about how she was doing without her.

The blonde hummed yes's and mhm's as she pushed her shopping cart steadily down the aisle scanning the shelves.

"I'm at the market right now, I need to stock my fridge up again. Oh no your not a bother at all." Lucy stated grabbing a box of cereal off the shelf. "School is school pretty much with decent grades. Life outside of it is pretty bland. I haven't made many friends, most of them are unapproachable. Haha no there's no guy in my life."

The blonde blushed darkly hearing her best friend's teasing comments.

"Okay fine, yes there's a guy. I may or may not like him." She giggled hearing her friend squeal in happiness.

Lucy continued to push her cart while looking around for a certain aisle before colliding into another cart. She looked up to see a frowning white haired woman who looked panicked by the altercation.

"I'll call you back later Michelle. Alright love you too." She spoke in a hush tone into her cell before placing it back into her purse and turning to the woman. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

The long white hair woman looked her in the face and gave her a gentle smile.

"Oh no, it was all my own fault." She said sweetly covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm Mirajane but I prefer the name Mira."

"Its nice to meet you, I'm Lucy." The blonde responded back pulling her cart out the way of the other woman's. The white hair woman pulled her cart to along side the blonde's to continue their small chat.

Mira began to chat about how crowded the aisles of the store seem to become smaller and smaller with each trip she took. The blonde nodded at the words she spoke as her eyes looked over the woman. Mira had white hair that reached her bum with her bangs tied cutely up. Her blue eyes shone bright and were very friendly. She had a dark pink maxi dress that flowed with every step she took and also had a light pink bow at her waist, the garment hugged her body well. She talked in a mature manner but her appearance made her seem young.

Lucy mumbled a sound of agreement before her eyes trailed to the white woman's cart.

"You must be having a big party." She stated looking at all the meats, chips, vegetables, fruits, and a few cases of beer and sodas.

"Oh this?" Mira said looking down in her cart not surprised by the comment. "It's not for a party, this is more like the meal for the day. You could say I'm the chef in a large organization, I look after a whole lot of people. This isn't even half of what I get on a normal grocery run."

"Oh that's big." Lucy gasped.

"Ah well I should get going before dinner or I'll have some hungry people in my hands." Mira giggled with a twinkle in her eyes. Her face went from smiles before turning into one of heavy thinking. "You know we should talk more, I'd feel like we could become acquaintances or even friends don't you think?"

"Oh uh yeah sure." Lucy said gapping like a fish at how fast she was making a friend in a grocery store of all places.

"Alright." The woman mumbled going through her purse that settled in the cart and pulling out a torn piece of paper and jotting down something quickly with a pen. She put the paper in the blonde's direction and smiled. "There, just shot me a text and talk sometime."

"Ok." The blonde said nodding to her request taking the paper away. Before she knew it the woman walked away pushing her cart to the check out lane.

Lucy looked down at the paper that had a number written in a beautifully written hand writing, the name 'Mira' written in a cute way with a small smiley face doodle and the words 'looking forward to your text'.

"She's really nice." Lucy mumbled stuffing the paper into her own purse before proceeding to push her cart down the next aisle. "Maybe she's right."

The white hair woman hummed a tune to herself making her way to the heavily populated parking lot. She navigated through the row of cars till she came across a shining dark red suv.

"Mira." Someone called out from the vehicle.

The said woman stopped beside the open door of the suv. "Do you mind helping me Gray?"

"Of course." Was the dark haired males replied as he hoped out and piled the bags into the back seat. Once the two finished the task, Gray returned the cart to the shop and Mira settled herself into the backseat.

"I never enjoy these trips to the market, I always get stared at for the piles of food." Mira said with a smug look staring at the driver of the vehicle who was unfazed by the comment.

"What else is new." He mumbled starting up the car seeing the dark hair man walking back their way.

"Actually this time around I made a little friend, she was really nice." The woman said smiling when the man looked at her in the rear view mirror. "We bumped into each other but what luck."

She began to giggle seeing the man grab his phone from the console and scrolling through it.

"I can see why your so crazy busy these days, your just trying to make Gray give you a day off huh Natsu?"

The man didn't say anything until he placed his phone back down and sighed. "... I think I'm almost there."

Mira smiled sweetly at the man before turning to see the dark hair man climb into the vehicle. "To the guild peseant."

The comment received a chuckle and a 'shut up Mira' before the car pulled out the lot and into the road.


	21. Chapter 21

The door swung open with excessive force that Natsu stumbled back afraid of what might pop out before seeing Lucy throw herself into him burying her face into his chest.

"Why haven't you come to see me sooner?" She whispered hugging the man with all her might.

Natus's lips curved up into a smile at her words. It was the same question she asked when he appeared before her, making him feel missed by the one person who seemed to matter as of late. It's been weeks since he seen her almost a month. Even when he hasn't seen her, Gray won't let a day go by without teasing him endlessly of his 'girlfriend' or Mira, becoming fast friends with the blonde, always chattering about Lucy's whereabouts. The phone calls and text messages between the pair did nothing but twist the pinkette's heart into knots everytime he thought of her.

"I'm sorry Luce, works got me tied up." Natsu said stroking her long soft blonde hair. A cheesy remark is something he would of said to tease her but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Just like he couldn't bring himself to be the same person he was before her.

"Your made of excuses today." Lucy said with a pout that drove Natsu crazy.

The pinkette chuckled at her face and gently guided the pair back into Lucy's apartment and out of the hall. Natsu turned to lock the door for the blonde and felt some weight onto his back.

"Luce what has gotten into you?" He asked curious on how the hot headed blonde got so soft not that he was compaining.

"I just really miss you is that a crime?"

"Who are you and what have you done to my Luce?" The man asked dragging the girl to the couch where he tackled her in an instant tickling her sides. A string of laughter came out the blonde as she started wheezing to for air.

"Idiot. Stop. Or. I'll. Kill. You." Lucy said in between breaths as she struggled to move his hands away from her sides.

"I found Looney again." Natsu said with a satisfied smirk. He stood up again to remove his black suit jacket while watching the blonde smooth out her baby blue v neck t shirt.

Lucy threw a punch to his abdomen and walked away to her small kitchen with a 'hmph'.

"You know when you asked me to come over for lunch I thought I would be showered in kisses not a fist." Natsu joked walking behind her to the kitchen. The smell that came when he entered the kitchen made his stomach ache from hunger.

"In your dreams." Lucy said from her place behind the stove stirring a small pot.

The pinkette smirked and settled himself on the counter in front of her. "Well jeez Luce give dream you some credit, she does a lot for me."

The blonde glared at the man and walked up to him shoving him into a stool. "Sit idiot."

Natsu was in a fit of laughter watching Lucy angrily grab plates and glasses out of her cabinets and set them up where they'd eat. She began filling their plates with salad and a piece of bread crumb covered meat that she covered in a white sauce. Lucy went around the kitchen getting drinks and silverware before seating herself beside the pinkette.

"Oh this looks nice, I'd never guess you could cook. I wonder how it'll taste." Natsu said a loud licking his lips in anticipation.

"Have a taste." Lucy said with a smile.

The pinkette grinned up at her before cutting into the piece of meat and gobbling it down. He let an animal like howl escape his lips when he finished swallowing and chewing the piece.

"Oh Luce marry me, this is so good." The man cut into his meal again eager to eat more.

Lucy blushed at Natsu's comment. "It's not that big of a deal."

"It is when your the first person to ever cook for me." Natsu spoke softly pulling Lucy's stool closer to him. He placed his arm around her small waist and gave her a toothy smile that made her shrink in his hold. "Thank you~"

He gave her a small kiss on her cheek that made Lucy look up at him with shocked eyes but she smiled and dug into her own plate as he did the same.


	22. Chapter 22

"Happy get off."

A tired moan came from under the red mass of comforters with the said blue cat curled up on his master's head. The sound of a loud annoying ring tone sounded making the man moan even more in annoyance before reaching over on his night stand feeling around for whatever it could be. Once his hand felt the vibrating device he brought it to his ear not bothering to look at the caller id before answering it still feeling groggy.

"Hello."

"Natsu!" Was the urgent squeal of the only person in his heart.

He imeddiately woke up with his eyes shot wide open. Natsu instantly sat up with his cat leaping off his head to curl into his unoccupied pillow.

"Lucy what is it? Is something wrong?"

"I didn't know who too call and I didn't want to call the authorities, I still won't feel safe or.." The blonde stammered on speaking incoherently into the phone for the man to understand.

"Luce shh, calm down. I'm right here. Now talk to me, what's wrong?" Natsu sat on the edge of his bed soothing the girl the best he could.

"I felt someone staring into my window earlier about an hour or two ago, but when I went to check I saw nothing. And now I think someone just tried to break into my apartment from the window and door." Lucy whispered in a hush tone like she was being listened to. He could tell how shaken up she was by her heavy breathing and shaking voice.

"I'm on my way there Luce don't move or open the door, alright." Was his last words before he hung up then running around his room to grab his sneakers and car keys before rushing out the door with his heart pounding in his ears.

Natsu got into his truck and zoomed all the way to Lucy's apartment in the late hour of the night with the roads practically clear for him. When he parked his vehicle in the parking lot of the apartment complex, his head spun trying to search for any of his enemies little helpers that maybe lurcing if there were any. After his inspection he ran full force up the stairs to Lucy's door where he calmly called her to open the door for him. Natsu saw Lucy's appearance when the door flew open with the girl throwing herself at him on the verge of tears.

The blonde was dressed in her night clothes that consist of a tank top and night shorts. Her hair was sticking up and matted to her face from the tears that were visible due to her blood shot eyes. Natsu looked around the room to see evidence that she had originally camped out on the couch before he came with all the pillows and blankets he saw. The pinkette closed the door and told her to sit on the couch while he investigated the apartment.

He saw no one out the windows and no force of entry what so ever. Whatever Lucy might have seen or experience still has her shaken up.

"I see nothing Lucy." Natsu said seating himself on the coffee table in front of the couch. He laid a hand on her cheek and rubbed circles into it with his thumb to show her some sort of comfort. Lucy looked up at him with her lip quivering from fright still even with his presence. "W-why don't you come over to my house for a little while? Until we know your safe or until your comfortable to come back."

The blonde nodded her head thoughtfully before getting up with Natsu's help. Lucy walked into her bedroom and stuffed items she'd need for an over night stay plus other items to start her day. Natsu grabbed a sweater from her closet and placed it on her shoulders before grabbing her bag and holding Lucy's hand assisting her out the door of her apartment.

They got into the pinkette's truck and drove off to his house safely through the quiet night.

Once they reached the man's home, Lucy awed at the size of his house. When they got through the doors she was even more amazed by the appearance.

"Home sweet home." Natsu said with a smile.

He gestured toward the stairs he began to climb. Lucy noticed and rushed to follow after him. The pinkette lead her to the master bedroom to which he occupied a few hours before.

"You can sleep here but don't mind my cat if he ends up on you. He's a cuddler and likes to sleep onto of heads." Natsu told the girl who seated herself on the bed to examine the cat who was awoken by the open door and trotted to the girl rubbing his head on her thigh.

"Wait wait, where are you sleeping Natsu?" Lucy asked standing up holding the small cat like a baby, it made the pinkette weak in the heart seeing the scene unfold. "I don't want to rob you of your bed. Y-you have work and I know you'll need your sleep."

"I was gonna get comfortable on the couch. So don't worry your pretty little head." He said offering a friendly smile.

Lucy glared intensely at him as she began to circle the man before shoving him onto the bed and rushing off to lock the door.

"Lucy?"

Natsu looked at the blonde with wide eyes staring at the girl as she walked to the other side of the bed getting herself comfortable under the covers with the blue cat still curled up to her chest. Lucy yawned after settling down but stared up at the man who still was shocked by her actions.

"Aren't you going to sleep with me?" She asked in a way that almost sounded like a purr to the pinkette's ears.

Swallowing hard he settled himself into bed facing toward the ceiling. He cleared his throat and closed his eyes waiting for sleep to hit him. But the sudden weight on his chest bought him back to reality. Natsu opened one eye and saw Lucy's head was on his chest listening to his heart beat with Happy curled up between them. With a faint smile on his face, Natsu fell asleep more content then before.


	23. Chapter 23

"Rise and shine sleepy head."

A voice cooed loudly with the sun shining intensely through the cracks of the open blinds. Natsu grumbled opening his eyes slightly not wanting to be awaken. He vaguely saw yellow and blue through his partly opened eyes. He sat up in attempt to wake up while listening to someone ramble on and on about something he couldn't comprehend. It took him a few minutes to understand that he was awake and leaning against the headboard of his bed. In front of him sat the only girl he's ever allowed in his home with his blue cat curled comfortably into her lap.

"Lucy." Natsu mumbled rubbing his face heavily.

The said girl stopped talking and looked at the man with concern.

"Yes?"

Lucy waited for an answer but saw the man slump against the headboard still tired.

"Get me some coffee please." Were the only things he mumbled before closing his eyes.

Lucy stood up with Happy in her arms and walked down the stairs she already familiarized herself with earlier in the morning. She roamed into the kitchen to the coffee maker that she learned to use. She poured a cup of already made coffee from the coffee pot. When finished Lucy grabbed the cup and went back up stairs to see the pink hair man's chest rising slowly from his breathing.

"Here you go Natsu." Lucy said handing him his coffee.

The man opened his eyes lazily and grabbed the mug chugging half of it down before leaning back and sighing to himself.

"You look exhausted." The blonde mentioned looking down at the blue cat who moved his tail across her hand. "You look practically dead like a zombie."

"Well geez Luce, remind me to never let you sleep over again." Natsu gave her a weak grin that was enough to make Lucy giggle at how cute he looked half asleep.

"Whatever." She flashed him a smile and watched him drink more of his beverage before opening her mouth again. "What are you doing today?"

"I probably gotta go into work in a little while or I'll be attacked by my slave driver." The pink hair man groaned resting his cup on the side table. "What will you be doing today sweetheart?"

Lucy blushed at the name and looked down at the blue cat. "I don't have school today and I'm not scheduled to work. So I'm not really sure, I might stay here."

"Maybe I should stay home if you are." Natsu said in a husky tone. He crawled toward the blonde and let his hand lazily play with her long locks. He chuckled when he noticed the girl's face getting more red by the minute. "How about we make some plans."

Natsu removed himself from the girl and walked toward his closet picking out his work clothes while waiting for her to answer back.

"What do you mean make plans?" Lucy asked hesitantly unsure of his or her own words. She doesn't know how to describe their intimate close friendship at this point especially with the way she misses him at times apart.

"Let's make plans for when I come back from work. I can ensure you that I'll be back around noon so we can do whatever your heart desires." Natsu said with his clothes draped over his arm. He looked away from the closet and gave her a smirk that showed off his sharp canine tooth. "And maybe in return, you can let me take you on a romantic date."

Lucy blushed harder than before but nodded her head. "I'll agree this one time, got it Dragneel?"

The pinkette walked toward the blushing blonde, he bent down toward her and let his hand gaze her jaw tenderly. He smirked when he noticed her eyes freeze in surprise. "I'll have you agreeing a bunch more soon."

Natsu gave her a grin before retreating to the bathroom with his clothes in hand to get dressed.

Lucy's lips formed a straight line across her face. 'Who does he think he is! I have a right to go up and lecture him! But then again I can't control myself around him...'

The blonde groaned to herself and walked down the stairs cradling the blue cat in her arms who grown attached to her.

Lucy walked into the kitchen and poured herself another cup of coffee to drink while she waited for the pinkette. Half way through her coffee, Natsu came down the stairs stuffing items into his pants pockets.

"Have you feed Happy?" He asked looking over to the cat's bowls.

"No."

Natsu nodded his head, he went to his fridge and pulled out two fishes and a milk jug. He placed the fishes in the bowl and poured the milk before placing the jug back. The pair watched as the cat leaped from Lucy's arms to the ground, Happy rushed over to his bowl munching fast at the fish.

"There's more fish for Happy for lunch. Help yourself to anything in the house, my house is yours." Natsu said with a grin before rushing over to the front door.

"So you'll be back at noon?" Lucy asked following after the man who was ready to leave.

"Yes Lucy. I will." Natsu chuckled. "I'll text you on my way home alright?"

The blonde nodded her head. The man was about to leave out the door before he paused and turned back to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to his body hugging her tightly.

"Just a little encouragement to pull me through work." Was all he said savoring her presence.

Lucy giggled at his actions as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Then let me give you something more."

Lucy stood on her toes and kissed the man softly on the cheek. She smiled when she pulled away and saw Natsu smiling like a fool.


	24. Chapter 24

"Gray!"

The droopy eyed man turned around from his place in front of the master's desk to see the enraged young master in front of him.

"Shouldn't I be the one yelling at you?" Gray responded lazily turning back to arranging the papers cluttering the desk.

"What happened to the security I told you to have for her?!" Natsu seethed slamming his office door closed with massive force.

Gray turned to face him again looking at him weirdly. "I did set it up. I had Lyon in charge of that."

"Then where the hell was Lyon when Lucy was calling me in the middle of the night?"

When Gray didn't have an answer to his response, Natsu flung his door back open with Gray chasing after him.

"Where's Lyon!" He barked out from the rail to the now silent hall.

All the members stared up at their master with worried eyes on how to answer the angry man currently was.

"Someone go find him!" He yelled causing half the members jumping to their feet and rushing out the door while few members pulled out their cell phones.

"Dude, calm down you'll have everyone too frighten to go out and do their routine duties." Gray said pulling him away from the rail.

The sneer on the pinkette's face shocked Gray. Usually his friend would waltz in tired but ready to leave in a flash. When he got mad, it was never like this. Today was unexpected.

"She called me scared out her mind! Someone was suppose to be there watching over her." Natsu said hitting his hands repetitively to prove a point. He moved away from his friend back into his office to await for new information. Gray shock his head and walked off to bark more orders for his boss.

The young master settled into his seat behind his desk and began reviewing papers that littered it while waiting. Work was the farthest thing from his mind. While he sorted through his papers, an envelope caught his eye. Natsu examined the envelope and noticed no returning address but the sending address. He ripped the top open with unnecessary force causing the content of the envelope to spill on his desk. The pinkette man looked down at the content with wide eyes.

"Those freaking bastards." Natsu sneered looking through the photographs that were of Lucy.

He saw a few from every window in her apartment and few of Lucy actually in the photo doing daily things. The second to last photo was of both himself and the blonde walking out the door of her apartment. But the very last photo took Natsu by surprise. The photo wasn't very clear at first but he noticed white, blues and red. Realization hit him when he noticed the outline of a face and body.

"Lyon?"

The Dragon Lord master stood up abruptly and ran out the door with the photos in hand to the bar where a group of members were circled around. Whispers and mumbles were the only things heard.

"Gray!" Natsu roared out dividing the small group in half revealing the droopy eyed man who paled at the site of the master.

"Lyon's in the hospital, they said he was attacked."

Natsu went wide eyed at the news before baring his teeth.

"That's the last straw, those fucking bastards. Dragon Lord has now declared war with them." Most of the member roared in agreement while others appeared nervous of the declaration. "We won't be mad fun of no more."

And with that the pinkette left without another word back to his office. He took a seat at his desk again to calm himself but the anger inside of him grew when his eyes caught something. Amongst the scattered photos he noticed writing scribbled in black ink. He picked it up and examined it. 'Are we hitting a nerve yet?' was written in big letters. On the other side was a photograph of Lucy in tears on the phone clutching a pillow to her chest.


	25. Chapter 25

"He's late."

The blonde pouted down at the blue cat who meowed at her in agreement. Lucy stood up and walked over to the bathroom to examine herself once more in the mirror. She felt unusual nervous and was unsure with the clothes she wore. From last night's events the few things she stuff into her bag was from her rushing. The blonde had dark jeans with a blue loose t shirt thrown on plus her worn down sneakers.

Lucy sighed to herself and went off to explore the pinkette's house which was a fruitless adventure due to the lack of personal items in the house. All the rooms looked to be decorated but untouched in everyway. She wandered back up to the master bedroom which from her investigation was the only room to appear lived in. Even so, there was still lack of personal items. Lucy almost wondered if the man she spent practically half a year with was even real.

Just as Lucy was about to leave the room and go back to the living room where she left the blue cat, before a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. She froze in place by the touch and began to tremble in panic.

"Geez, I should have stayed home with you instead of leaving." The owner of the arms muttered nuzzling their face into her neck. "Work was brutal even for half a days worth."

"Your late jerk." Lucy said blushing at his touch. She blushed even harder feeling his hot breath on the crook of her neck. Natsu planted a kiss there which resulted in him getting a smack to the head. "Don't touch me!"

"Geez Luce, calm down it was only a kiss." The pinkette chuckled pulling away from her. "And I'm not late."

"You said noon on the dot."

"Geez, don't get worked up. Let me just freshen up and we'll leave." Natsu said throwing his jacket on the bed and strolled into the bathroom.

"Your going to wear that out?"

"Yeah." The man called out.

Lucy walked into the bathroom with crossed arms. "I am not going to hang around a man who's dressed like that."

Natsu raised a brow staring at her through the bathroom mirror before rinsing his mouth out. "Let me get this straight. You don't wanna be seen with a guy who dresses classy? Would you rather I dress like a punk?"

His dark eyes burned holes into Lucy that made her body heat up in embarrassment. "I didn't say that. Just hurry up already!"

The blonde ran out the bathroom in a flash making the man laugh at her exit.

"It's kinda fun to tease ya." He calles out chuckling to himself as he examined his face closely.

Only in his late twenties, Natsu could see the visible frown and worry lines that grace his young boyish face. He sighed to himself thinking about all the work he had to do to protect the very blonde school girl in the next room.

'Is this even worth it? Or am I making a huge mistake.' The pinkette thought staring deeply into the mirror as if it knew all.

"Natsu~!" Lucy called out from downstairs followed by purrs he knew came from his beloved blue cat.

'No its defenitely not a mistake. Dad why couldn't you leave me instructions on how to handle these kind of things?' He pleaded to himself before groaning in defeat leaving the bathroom then grabbing his jacket and running down the stairs.


	26. Chapter 26

"I can't believe you bought my cat out." Natsu sighed seeing his blue feline prancing around within the limit of the leash Lucy had on him. "Cats don't go on walks."

"But look at Happy! He looks so happy." The blonde laughed tugging slightly on the leash to the cat who began to wander around curiously. "You should get a dog."

"And why would I do that, their too much work." He scoffed.

"Simple, dogs are cute. I've always wanted to get one but my schedule's so hectic I won't be able to care for one."

Natsu smirked and placed a hand on her waist bringing her closer to him. "Whatever my lady wants, she gets."

"I'm not your lady idiot." Lucy said in a hushed tone smacking his arm away as well as trying to hide the blush that crept up to her cheeks.

"Where do you wanna go anyways? The book store? The diner? The mall?"

"So we can start fighting over buying a book? No way."

"I'm touched Luce." The pinkette teased placing his arm on her waist once more. "But honestly where do you wanna go? I did say whatever your heart desires and I don't go back on my word."

"How about going to the park. I haven't gone in a while. We could take a walk." Lucy said happily allowing his arm to remain in place.

"Fine my lady." Natsu said guiding her toward the direction to the park.

As they began to neared the park, the couple heard a commotion coming from a small alley way that separated two apartment complexes. The hushed voices made it more suspicious for the pinkette man not to explore.

"Lucy stay right here with Happy yeah." Natsu ordered her somewhat in a gentle way bending down and picking up the cat placing him in the confused girl's arms.

"Where are you going Natsu?" She whispered grabbing his arm when he inched toward the alley.

"Let me check something out real quick ok?" He said which she responded back with a hesitant nod. He placed a kiss to her forehead and left down the alley that lead into darkness due to the tall buildings and apartment complexes surrounding it.

Natsu stayed silent stealthily hidden within the shadows as he neared the two figures that he spotted, they stood near a dead end.

"Wendy if you keep whining that we'll get caught, we most likely will!" One of the figures said angrily.

"But Romeo, this is illegal." A scared timid voice whispered.

The two figures stood before a wall covered in graffiti. Upon all the graffiti stood the emblem Natsu recognized belonging to his own guild. Sprayed painted in red was Dragon Lord's dragon emblem that one of the figures still was working on.

The pinkette walked behind the pair before speaking up. "And who are you?" He placed his hands forcefully down on the two figures shoulders. They both turned around scared letting their hoods fall. A scowling boy with a spray can and a shaking long blue haired girl stood before him.

"Oh, just two brats."

The scowling boy glared at him heavily. "We aren't brats! We'll soon be apart of the toughest group in Magnolia!"

"Oh yeah? And what group is that?" The pinkette asked laughing at his comment.

"Dragon Lord!" He called out with a satisfied smirk.

"But Romeo we're already apart of a group." The timid girl whisper to which Romeo shrugged off.

"Apart of what? Weren't even allowed to join until they think we're ready! Or 'mature'."

"Those are thoughts of a stupid ambitious boy." Natsu said turning on his heels and start to walk away.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!" Romeo called out throwing the can in his hand to the ground. When he only received a wave from the pinkette man, the young boy took off running.

Natsu emerged from the dark alley to Lucy's relief.

"So Natsu what happened?" Lucy asked rushing to his side with the cat meowing at the site of his owner.

"Oh it was nothing, just some punk kids." He said shrugging off the manner as if it were nothing. Natsu stroked the blue cat and motioned for the blonde to walk, he started to walk along with her down the street again but was knocked off his feet with sudden force.

"Who do you think your calling stupidly ambitious!" Romeo screamed huffing and puffing with his fist held up. The boy stood over the fallen man's body ready to deliver a punch.

"Romeo!" Wendy squealed rushing toward his side. When the bluenette noticed Lucy staring wide eyed at the fallen man, she bowed her head. "I'm sorry for his action ma'am."

"Cut it out Wen." Romeo said pulling her back up and making her yelp. "We wouldn't have to apologize for our actions soon enough."

"You have guts kid. I'll give you that." Natsu said getting up to his knees. When he noticed Lucy hesitating to take a step, he just raised a hand to show he was fine. "But do you really think their guild master would let a disrespectful rude street punk like you in! Eh?!"

"Shut up old man!" Romeo yelled back pulling his right arm back and launching it straight to the man's gut.

A panicked Lucy ran to the pinkette's side when he fell flat on his butt. "Natsu let's go, you both are making a scene."

Natsu wanted to reject the idea of running. He wanted to stay and show the boy what Dragon Lord is really about, that they weren't a bunch of common thugs running around with their reputation just to intimidate people. But the scared look in the blonde's brown eyes gave him a change of heart. He didn't want her to see that side of him. Not when she doesn't need to be apart of it.

The pinkette got back to his feet with Lucy's help and then clung onto the girl as Happy lead them away pulling them by his leash.

"That's right run while you still can!" The boy yelled out to Natsu's annoyance.

"Kids like him make this place unsafe." Lucy tsked shaking her head in disapproval.

'If only you knew.' He though with a sigh.


	27. Chapter 27

"Beat it you worthless scum!" The pink hair boy laughed out kicking his bat onto his shoulder.

A group of beaten boys slowly made their way off the baseball field leaving the cheering group.

"Wow Natsu, I never thought you could do something like that." A dark hair boy called out running toward the pinkette boy. "For a guy who spent a majority of the year in his house you got super strong and tough too."

"Salamander ain't that strong." Another boy scoffed walking toward the two with crossed arms. "I seen stronger."

"Oh yeah metalhead?" The pinkette boy yelled before running up and pouncing on the taller boy resulting in a brawl with each other.

"Tch and to think I thought you were cool." The dark hair boy said walking back to the small group they arrived with.

"Gray!" Natsu roared grabbing Gray by his collar and pulling him into the small scuffle with Gajeel.

After a few moments the three boys fell to the ground to the small group's amusement.

"You guys should man up, geez." An older white hair boy called out through all the laughter.

"Are we going to play some baseball or fight all day?" Someone shouted amongst the group.

"Hey I'm cool with either." Someone else shouted with the crack of their knuckles.

"I didn't come for this!" Gray growled getting up.

"Oh well. I'm not done with you ice pop!" Natsu roared kicking the boy down to the ground again.

"Neither am I flame brain!"

"Dad!"

A man with red slicked back hair looked up from his desk with a smile at the sound of his name. "Natsu. Come here."

The pink hair boy ran to his dad's open arms with a wide smile. His father patted the young boy's head lovingly.

"How was your day son?"

"School was alright but after school the guys invited me to play with them again! I was so happy until these guys from another school wanted to play on our baseball field just cause their's was crappy." Natsu scoffed at the memory.

"What happened?" The older man asked interested.

"I took my bat and started to pound their smirking faces in! I fought most of them off and frighten the rest of them."

"You what?" Igneel asked harsher then he intended. "Did you not reason with those boys first before resorting to such tactics?"

Natsu shock his head slowly frowning to himself.

"If your going to take my place as Dragon Lord's master you have to understand something." Igneel said sternly, staring the boy in his black colored eyes. "Showing off what you can do and doing what is right are two different things. Master's are seen first before their organizations. Do you think the authorities that control this city would let us be if I showed my men to knock every smirking face of my rivals off the street at will? I think not. You'll have to think before doing to set an example for your men and even the people our organization is meant to protect. And that includes those boys unless they were rivals."

"I never knew." Natsu said in disbelief before averting his eyes to the ground feeling ashamed by the actions he was once proud of. "I just want to prove I could be apart of Dragon Lord."

"Don't beat yourself up ok? Your still young and learning a master's trade. There will be a time when your ready to show what your made of." Igneel's face soften at his son's sour mood. But the older man's lips curled into a sly smile. "But do tell, did you do all the work?"

"Yeah, the other guys were awing. Gray though we should have left but it was the first time in forever he's invited me to anything. So I did what I did to be with my best friend."

"Haha, my boy's a little brawler!" Igneel roared in laughter at the thought. He clapped his hand onto the younger boy's back. "You know what, I bet everyone would enjoy something to celebrate about."

"Really?" Natsu said going wide eyed staring up at his dad. "Can I do it? Pleaseee?"

"Of course." The older man smiled seeing his son scoot off his lap and run out the door of Igneel's office in an instant.

Igneel stood up and trailed after him to see Natsu climb the rail and yelling for everyone's attention before looking up to his dad to go on.

"Everyone, my son just came to me and told me something rather surprising. He brawled today with a group of boys on his own!" Igneel hollered out, making the guild hall erupt in cheers and 'he's becoming a man' comments.

Natsu looked up at his father and smiled in a goofy fashion.


	28. Chapter 28

"Oh Luce, lookie here."

Lucy turned around from inspecting a rack of clothes to see her companion with his usual goofy smile plastered on his face with a short red dress placed over his neck. He gave her a small twirl then smooth the fabric when he faced her again.

"You look divine madam." The blonde school girl giggled creasing the sleeping blue cat closer to her ample chest.

"Tch, don't I always. But I meant for you." Natsu said walking toward her and draping the dress against her body. He pressed the fabric to her clothed figure and let his hands smooth the fabric at her hips gently. "It would highlight your curves beautifully."

"And why would I need to do that." Lucy said rolling her eyes from his touch and walking away to another clothing rack away from the pinkette.

"Its for our dinner date tonight duh. Blondie did you forget our deal?"

"What deal?"

"The part where I take you wherever you want." Natsu huffed shoving the dress back onto a rack. "You're so hurtful princess."

"You're so irritating."

"I think you made that clear already long ago."

"Why did I have to come here and with you?" Lucy asked with a sigh, dropping her hands from the clothes rack.

"It was either come here and shop or go back to your apartment. But you refused to go back even if I went with you, remember?" Natsu said walking over to her with his arms crossed. "And I refuse to go out with you dressed like that."

"It's only a date."

"Which will be in a fancy restaurant that I go to for business."

"So I'm just buisness now?!" The blonde screeched turning toward the man a litte hurt from the thought but embarrassed from her own sudden action.

"Stop being so dramatic. Do you honestly think I would let you in my home or let alone touch my cat if you were only buisness? Baby you gotta understand, I got other intentions for you." Natsu flashed her a toothy grin that made Lucy heart beat rapidly also making her cheeks blush like crazy by his declaration.

The blonde turned away from the pinkette toward the first clothing rack she saw. She plucked a dress on a hanger off the rack, she examined it's appearance carefully, and threw it at the man then walked away to another part of the store.

"Hey Lucy, where you going?" Natsu asked puzzled looking at her retreating form while he clumsily caught the dress.

"I need a pair of shoes to match. And a new pair of under clothes too. Your paying for all my things right." Lucy had stated rather than ask the man who smirked at her sudden boldness.

"Did I ever mention I love bossy take charge kind of woman?" He asked chasing after the blonde. "That was a definite turn on."

"Shut up!"

Natsu walked into his bedroom with a pair of clean black slacks and a black t-shirt on. He threw himself onto his king size bed awaiting the blonde who had taken his en suite hostage. The only thing coming out in the last hour was the music playing off her cell phone and the smell of varies of products he had bought for her. He smiled to himself enjoying the tranquil atmosphere currently present in his home before sighing and grabbing his cell to check on anything.

Lyon's fine, only a few stitches and bruises. Nothing major. Say the word and we'll retaliate against them, I figured it all out. I got security watching over you guys.

-Gray

Natsu found himself wincing at the word stitches and bruises as if he had aquire them and not Lyon. One thing he learnt from his dad was that everyone in the guild is family, you cherish and worry for each one of them just as you would for any family member. He himself had witness his own dad being true to his word a couple of times. The pinkette thought long and hard about what to do. Never had his father experience this nor did he prepare him for this kind of senerio.

Get everyone ready at midnight, was the only thing he responded back with. Natsu stared at the ceiling for a while debating if this choice was the right choice that would involve no casualties on his end.

"Natsu?"

He looked from the ceiling to the open bathroom door to see Lucy approaching him with a small frown on her carefully make uped face. The over powering smell of perfume lingered after her. The pinkette was lost in thought that he didn't even notice her blaring music stopping.

"Are you okay?" She asked sitting beside him.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Natsu told her as he sat himself up to look at her good. He was astonished by her appearance, she looked as beautiful as their first encounter at the club. Lucy had a black strapless dress that stopped right above her knee, the dress itself showed her figure off nicely in his opinion as well as accenting her fair skin. Her hair was curled and placed elegantly half up on her head. "You look really beautiful Lucy."

The blonde stared the man in the eyes to see him eyeing. His comment made her blush. She place her own hand to her bare shoulders. "It's not too much is it?"

Natsu took her hand away and held onto it in his gentle soft grip. He placed his other hand to her cheek and stroked it in a loving manner. Lucy was blushing even more furiously at his warm touch but didn't make any attempt to remove his hand. The pinkette leaned in to the blonde close enough that their lips were inches away. "No way, you look perfect."

He went to kiss her fully on the lips but his thoughts clouded his mind at his actions. Instead of her lips, he planted a sweet kiss on her cheek. Natsu then stood up in a rush pocketing his phone and straightening out his shirt of any creases. "We should get going while the night is still young."

"Oh. Right." Lucy mumbled blinking her eyes a bit, feeling somewhat disappointed as she watched Natsu vanish into the bathroom.


	29. Chapter 29

Natsu kept his eyes solely on the road but turned his head occasionally once he was at a red light to look at his passenger. A frown adorn her face since they left his home, yet he didn't know what he had done wrong. They left the house with the blonde smiling

"Hey Lucy are you worried about Happy? I left him a bunch of times on his own before, he's fine you know." He reassured her.

"Oh no its not that." She said with a nervous smile that Natsu noticed quickly.

The pinkette nodded not wanting to press the girl and looked up in time to the light turning green. "Cheer up then Luce. I hate to see you frowning and I know I haven't done anything to upset you yet."

"Yet?" Lucy looked up at him giggling a bit.

"Well yeah, usually I get you upset by this time. So upset you ignore my calls and text or ignore me in general when we're together." Natsu explained giving her a sheepish smile before focusing on turning on the road. "When you get like that I can almost see you frowning or pouting. It's cute but I hate hate hate to see you like that."

"You got heart Dragneel." Lucy laughed at his words changing her frown to a bright smile.

"Well duh, it exists for you babe." He said parking his truck in the parking lot he turned into. When he pulled his keys out the ignitionhe turned toward Lucy and grabbed her hand. Natsu brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it in a gentleman manner before looking up slowly to witness her astonished face. "If you want to take it."

"Oh Natsu." Lucy mumbled unbuckling her belt and throwing herself at the man hugging him tightly. "I'll take anything that you give me."

Natsu was taken back from the action but hugged her back. That heart pounding feeling came back to him but pounded heavily this time all over his body. This feeling alone scared him but with Lucy in his arms, it reassured him that he was alive.

"Reservation under Dragneel." Natsu spoke loud and firmly to the violet hair woman dressed as a waitress that stood behind the podium.

The woman skimmed at the book in front of her before nodding to herself, she looked up, grabbed menus and gestured for the pair to follow her into the huge crowded dinning room of other people who were enjoying their food or engaged in conversation. "Right this way."

Natsu had Lucy's arm tucked under his as he followed the waitress. He felt a smirk coming up to his lips from Lucy's innocently curious glances. The school girl's head was turning every direction so she saw everything that was obviously new to her. When the pair were seated away from most of the crowd and given menus, Lucy was frowning flipping between the one page the menu had.

"Lucy are you okay?" Natsu asked with a funny feeling in his chest.

She looked up from her menu and flashed him a smile. "Of course I'm fine."

When she looked back at her menu the pinkette sat there watching her furrow her brows, nimble on her lip, and frown once more. Natsu reached over and pressed her open menu down.

"Lucy, if you need help ask." He said roughly, agitated that she made herself upset which made him upset.

"Okay." She mumbled staring down at the cream colored page. Lucy stayed quiet for a moment before speaking. "I don't know half of what's it saying."

"Don't worry, I don't either." The pinkette chuckled glancing at the open menu. He put his finger to the first item he saw. "This one's fancy grilled chicken salad. And that one's a soup. That's a real nice big steak. Oh but don't ever try this, it's disguising trust me."

Lucy giggled at his explanation and looked back at the menu. "I guess I'll settle for the fancy chicken salad. How about you?"

"The usual, a nice big juicy steak." Natsu said closing the menus and pushing them on a side before flashing her a smile.

"What do you want?" Lucy asked still in a fit of giggles and even more with his smile.

"Just to stare at that gorgeous face of yours all night." He said staring at her with a loving look.

Lucy's eyes went wide at his comment making her whole body heat up. She turned her head away just as a waiter came up and introduced himself. Natsu stared at her a minute more before greeting the waiter and placing the orders they had decided on. When it came to drinks Natsu ordered a beer while Lucy turned her head slightly mumbling soda. The waiter left the pair alone again in silence which annoyed Natsu to no end.

"Why are you so quiet now? What did I say? What did I do?"

The pinkette started to panic when Lucy tried to cover her face and avoid looking at him completely.

"Lucy?"

"I- uh have to use the bathroom." Was all she said leaving the table in a hurry.

'What did I do?' Natsu thought angrily staring down at the previously occupied seat. All he wanted to do was chase after her and hold her till she talked.

He waited and waited for her. Some time after she scurried off to the bathroom, the waiter came back to the table with their drinks and to reassure that the meals will be brought out shortly. Natsu sighed to himself taking a sip from his cold beer. He was growing impatient by the minute waiting for the blonde to return. The pinkette set his elbows on the table and held his head up to avoid getting a temper. He stared holes into the cloth covered table until he heard the sound of a chair scuff and a small sniff.

Natsu threw his head fast enough to give himself wiplash. There before him sat Lucy with her face all flushed and her arms trying to cover her bare shoulders.

"Did I upset you?" Was the first thing that came out his mouth.

The question surprised Lucy, she shook her head no before responding. "No. You didn't Natsu, honestly." She moved her hands to her lap and stared down at them. She inhaled sharply then exhaled before looking him in the eyes. Her big brown doe eyes were tense as if they were on fire. "Natsu, I want to be frank with you. I have strong feelings for you. It wasn't until tonight that I really realized it."

The pinkette stayed quiet and stared with mixed emotions by the confession.

"I said something stupid didn't I?" Lucy asked blushing from embarrassment.

When Natsu said nothing, Lucy moved to get out of her seat but was stopped as fast as she stood up. The pinkette reached over and held her hands firmly on the table.

"Stop running off." He grunted looking at her with a stoic face. "I'll start to lose my patiences again."

The blonde sat back down frighten by this side to him. She watched as his once warm gentle touch turned rough. Natsu entwined their fingers together with his thumb rubbing circles into her hand.

"I've meant everything I ever told you even at times when you think I'm joking." The pinkette man looked up looking at her coolly. "I just would have rather liked hearing you say you love me."

"You idiot." Lucy hissed snatching her hands away to press them against her chest to try and stop her racing heart.

The man cocked his brow and gave her a smile. One that took her breath completely away.


	30. Chapter 30

"My feet ache so bad~" Lucy muttered to herself coming through the front doors of the pinkette's home. She kicked her heels off and walked slowly to the stairs.

"Tch, why did you need to wear those then?" Natsu asked shutting and locking the door after himself. He walked into the living room and saw his blue cat happily playing with his many toys on the rug. Upon seeing his owner, Happy stood up trotting toward him. Happy purred and rubbed his head against Natsu's leg as a greeting. "Hey buddy, how was your night?"

The cat responded with a meow and sat waiting to see where his master would go. Natsu reached down petting the feline's head before turning on his heels toward the stairs where the blonde went up a few minutes ago. He grabbed her heels and climbed the stairs with Happy walking through his legs every time he took a step. Once he reached his bedroom he saw the blonde rummaging through her bag pulling clothes out.

"If you like nice things, I suggest you don't leave them around Happy. He tends to ruin things." Natsu said placing the heels in his closet then closing it shut as soon as the cat neared the door. Happy hissed not pleased with his master or the door and zoomed out the room.

He saw Lucy stop what she was doing and perk her head up at his words. "Is that why you don't have much stuff in your house?"

"It's part of the reason. Happy tends to ruin things that are in his reach, bite or chew or scratch it up. But the other part is that my friends and I tend to brawl. And sometimes they get out of hand. And sometimes there's lots of broken things afterwards." Natsu chuckled nervously looking around. "I never have people other than friends over so excuse the bare emptiness. I'm not even much of a decorator either."

"It's fine. More room for a female touch." Lucy winked then giggled at her actions grabbing her clothes and dropping her bag by the closet. "I'll be right back." Lucy disappeared again into the bathroom.

Natsu sighed when the door closed and threw his blazer off to the side then pulled his shirt over his head. He debated whether to shower or put the blonde to sleep first. He still had plans to fulfil later in the night that he can't skip out of. The pinkette sat on his king size bed with his joints aching at the very thought of his plans. 'I gotta put a shirt on again. But so tired.' He though staring down at the garment in his hands that he hasn't let go of yet.

"That looks like it hurts."

Natsu whipped his head around to see the blonde college girl dressed in grey sweats and a old t shirt. She walked toward the bed with her sock clad feet softly padding against the wooden floor. She climbed the bed and crawled over to the man who watched her every move. Lucy lifted her hand up and laid it on the man's right shoulder blade before tracing the red marks. Natsu though back on what she said before, processing what she was talking about. Upon his back was a black outlined red colored dragon that represented his guild. He was eighteen when he endured various of sessions at the tattoo parlor getting it started. He felt her soft touch trailing up the mouth at his shoulder then down to the tail at his lower back.

"Hurt like hell at first." He said tossing his shirt to the small pile of clothes forming. "That pain was nothing after a while."

"I always wanted a tattoo, they looked so cool." Lucy said resting both her hands on his shoulders. Her eyes stared at the ground in thought before continuing to speak. "They say tattoos tell a story."

"Then let them tell stories, it has nothing to do with you." Natsu puffed out staring at the blank plain walls. The idea of her milky white skin getting inked all over excited him at first thought. He had an attraction for woman like that. But he gotten so use to seeing it blank and clear that her talking about it annoyed him almost making him mad.

"You jerk!" Lucy squealed out loud shoving the pinkette with all her might. All it did was move him forward slightly and grunt to acknowledge what she done. She huffed at his actions and slammed her fist into his back once before repeatively doing it to make a point. "Don't be so arrogant and think you can tell me what to do."

Natsu inhaled and exhaled heavily before turning, grabbing the blonde's wrist, push her down to her back then pin her wrist above her head in one swift motion. He maneuvered himself over Lucy practically hovering over her with his knees placed on either side of her hips. Lucy stared up at his dark eyes shocked and a tad scared of what happened. Never had this side of him came out before, she didn't even know why.

"I like your skin the way it is. With nothing on it." Natsu said in a bored tone but his eyes were staring so hard. He had one hand grasping her wrist while the other snaked down and stroked her cheek lovingly even when she turned her head away. "I didn't mean to make you mad at me."

Before she could even breath or respond back, Natsu ducked his head down to hers and captured her lips hungrily. He sucked and nibbled at her bottom lip slowly and sensually. This was more memorable than any other kiss he had given and he wanted to keep it that way. Natsu released her wrist and placed his forearms firmly on both sides of her head to give himself more room. He felt Lucy's figure shrink underneath him as he continued to kiss her. She didn't respond to the kiss at all. He didn't know if he should stop or not, he didn't know if he's scaring her more. Natsu broke away huffing and puffing for air while staring at the blonde who looked like she'd break out in tears any moment. Lucy's eyes were wide and watery, her arms were still flat at her side but her lips were noticeable red bruised and puffy. She was still as a stick.

'Shit, shit, shit.' Sang throughout Natsu's head as panicked thoughts came to mind. When she finally let the tears stream down the side of her face and she began to weep, did Natsu start to freak out. He sat back on the heels of his feet with his hands grabbing at the blonde's to comfort her. "Lucy."

She began to mumble incoherent things lowly with her eyes closed choking out a sob a couple times.

"Lu-"

Her cries became hard and her body began to tremble underneath him making Natsu worry more. 'Do something idiot.' He though to himself feeling his heart break at the site.

The pinkette found himself placing his arms under the girl's neck and back and pulling her close to him. The action alone made her stop crying and keep still for a moment. Even with her body still, Natsu hugged her closer to his chest resting his head on top of hers.

"I love you Lucy."

His words made the said girl stare wide in shock with a few tears unknowingly falling out.

"I love you." Natsu repeated again pulling the girl away from him so he can look her in the face.

Lucy reached up tiredly and attempted to wrap her arms around him. "You do?"

"Tch, did I fall in love with a stupid girl?"

"You stupid jerk." Lucy huffed, sniffling slightly.

"There's my Luce." Natsu said with a small smile. He laid her back down on the bed then moved himself beside her resting on his side proping his head up on his arm. He cupped her cheek and smiled staring into her eyes. "I couldn't control myself, I didn't mean to go that far." When she nodded her head in understanding, Natsu moved his arm to rest on her belly.

After a few minutes of silence with Natsu lazily drawing circles into a patch of revealed skin on the girl's belly and Lucy staring at the ceiling, she spoke. "Did you mean what you said?"

"Why would I lie?" He responded not halting his movements. "To you of all people too."

Lucy turned her head slightly to stare at the man. "I'm not use to being so intimate with guys. Like kissing and stuff. I didn't mean to ruin the night. It was amazing."

"Babe, you didn't ruin anything. I should know boundaries." Natsu said looking at her with his dark eyes. He rested his hand firmly on her waist and smirked. "Nice to know I got something untouched."

"I'm not a object Dragneel!" Lucy shrieked smacking his arm hard.

"Stop talking." He chuckled rolling onto his back and pulling her with him. Lucy's head landed on his chest as her legs ended up tangled with his muscular legs. "Let's get some sleep Looney."

"Shut up."

"I love you." Natsu mumbled hugging the girl to him as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. Lucy said nothing but smile and snuggle up closer to him. The pinkette reached for the comforter that was pushed away and pulled it placed it over themselves as they drifted happily to sleep.


	31. Chapter 31

"Damnit, damnit." He hissed snatching up his ringing cell phone before the girl laying beside him could stirr from the noise and answered it quickly. "What is it?"

"You forgot didn't you ash for brains." The person on the other line said with a sigh. "Were you drinking? Do I need to send someone to get you?"

Natsu glared at his ceiling. "No, I'm fine. I'll be down there in a bit."

The pinkette hung up before his comrade could utter another word. He looked at the blonde cuddling his side deep in sleep. He smiled at her before peeling himself away from her and tucking a pillow beside her. He walked to his dresser and pulled out a clean t-shirt then tugged it on. He trudged over to his closet and pulled out a pair of dark jeans. He took off his dirty pair and changed into his new pair. Natsu looked over at the sleeping blonde then left out the bedroom door.

The young master with his keys in hand then slipped out the door quiet enough not to disturb the feline asleep on the couch.

He got into his car and drove toward his precious guild hall. Once he arrived and parked his vehicle, he noticed how full the parking lot was with all the member's vehicles. Before getting out the car he closed his eyes and sighed to himself preparing himself mental so he can march in the building and yell praises to encourage the bunch. His usual blood lust thoughts of tearing their rival down wasn't enough, but seeing Lucy panic was enough to push him over the edge.

Natsu got out hs car and stomped his way to the building in the late hour of the night. He heard yells and cheers once he came in through the door. Gray stood at the rails up on the second floor hollering things out. Mirajane was going around offering beer like they were drinks of courage along with Lisanna. Gajeel, Elfman, and a few other of his men were nodding their heads happily as they sharpen knives and loaded ammunition into a variety of guns. There were others who were busy preparing themselves mentally. The pinkette noticed his oldest friend and trusty right hand man coming down the stairs.

"Everything's set. Just tell us when." Gray said before smirking. "Did you have a date night with the Misses or something?"

"What's it to you?" Natsu grumbled rolling his eyes.

"You smell like a girl." The dark hair man chuckled before his face slowly turned serious again. " So?"

"Let's leave now." Natsu said firmly walking over to the weapons being prepped. He picked up a hand gun and raised it to the air before shouting. "Tonight, vengeance will be ours as well as demolishing these punk once and for all!"

The whole building was filled with yeah's as line formed to recive their weapon of choice. Natsu over saw the exchanges before walking to the entrance and plucking his bat from the umbrella stand.

'This one's for you Luce.'

All of Dragon Lord piled out of SUVs armed with knives and guns along with a vicious expression on their faces. Their master stood in front of them only with a iron bat in hand. He swung it back and forth from his shoulder back down to the ground with a thud. He was the only one amongst them with a murderous face.

Natsu Dragneel turned his head slightly to one of his comrades with dark hair and nodded before walking forward in strides. The dark hair man did a hand signal that meant to follow. Wordlessly they marched toward the huge house that was a distance away, knowing full well who resided in there.

Two buff Dragon Lord members ran toward the door stepping in front of Natsu as the others stood behind him. The two men rammed down the door with their bodies and held their guns up ready to shoot. Natsu casually strolled into the house as the others ran in knocking doors down purposely throwing stuff around. All and all causing havoc till someone came down.

"If any Sabertooth freak is hiding here bring them to me!" The pinkette roared out like a dragon breathing fire. His words motivated the group more on their search.

He watched everyone running and heard lots of things breaking. None of it though, calmed his patience. The Dragon Lord master began to swing his bat around into the walls making dents and holes in its quake.

"Let me go!" A voice screamed out. Several other similar calls were made seconds later after the second floor got raided.

"So some do reside here." Natsu told himself, he pointed his bat at one of his men. "You. Get a few others and surround the premises. Some might be getting away."

The member nodded his head and shouted names out to come outside.

Natsu set his bat back on the ground like a cane and watched and waited. The Sabertooth members were being caught and tied by the hands then seated in a corner. Except for two women, there were only men yelling to be released or were going to deal pain. One of the Sabertooth members looked hard at the pinkette, enough to gain his attention. When Natsu turned his head to him, the man spit in his direction but only caught his shoes. The Dragon Lord master huffed and walked toward him catching the rest of the captives eyes.

"Does your stupid masters live here?" Natsu asked raising his bat onto his shoulders.

Some of the Sabertooth captives were encouraging the man not to say a word as the others were watching silently.

"I'm not a traitor to my guild."

"Well alright." The pinkette said nodding his head a bit looking over at his men who were still causing havoc. He raised his bat and slammed it against his head making blood splatter out the man's mouth without even glancing at him. A murderous look spread over his face, his eyes got darker and his mouth turned up into a sick smile. "Now, who would like to tell me about their masters?"

He raised his bat slowly to his shoulder with a small splat of blood dripping from it. A small symbol of a threat to the others. No one else spoke for a while fearing their safety.

"Hey Salamander lookie here!" Gajeel called out from the stairs.

Natsu raised a brow but walked toward the stairs swinging his bat menacingly making a few of the Sabertooth members wince.

"What now?" The pinkette grunted stopping in front of the long haired man.

"I got one of them." Gajeel said stepping to the side to show a beat down raven hair man who began wheezing for air.

"One of them?." Natsu asked stepping closer to the man.

"The nearest room near this guy's looked unused so the other one might still be out."

"Oh really?" The master asked amused. He tapped his bat on the floor. "Aye, does the name Lyon Vastia mean anything? How about Heartfillia?"

When the man said nothing Natsu jerked his head to signal the men circling the beaten one to raise him up.

"Now then," The pinkette said staring the co master of Sabertooth in the eyes. "Do the names mean anything to you? Cause I think it does."

The man raised his head up, his dark eyes filled with hate staring at him. "Screw you."

"Nah, was never into that kind of stuff." Natsu joked his smile growing darker. He placed both hands firmly on both ends of his bat took a step back as if to turn around but the pinkette rammed the end of his bat in the dark hair man's abdomen.

"By the sound of your voice your not Sting. But nonetheless I won't give you mercy." Natsu growled ramming his bat into the man again. "I'll take a guess and say your Rogue right? I done a little research, impressed?"

Once again he rammed his bat again making the man named Rogue drop to the ground. No one attempted to raise him up, they all looked on watching at their master released his pent up rage.

"Ima personally make sure you don't mess with us!" Natsu added hitting his bat hard on Rogue's back making him cough up a bit of blood from the abuse.

Natsu panted heavily trying to regain himself. He stared hard at the man at his feet. Anger was the only thing running through his viens. A throaty chuckle erupted from the silence. Everyone looked around dumbfounded by the sound. Their attention went back to Rogue who struggled to raise himself to his knees.

"That girl of yours. She's a real beauty. Along with her face too." Rogue said through shaky breathes. He looked at the young guild master in the face and smiled when he saw the pinkette shaking with rage. "We took a lot of amazing photos of her, all the guys loved her."

Natsu gritted his teeth at his words. How dare anyone look at his Lucy in any kind of shape and form. Or even speak about her like that. The pinkette kneeled down to Rogue's level and glared. "I dare you to say something else."

Rogue smirked and laughed a bit like a crazy man. "If you decide to part ways with her, I'll just come and swoop her up. I know where she works and lives as a matter of fact."

Natsu saw red after that. He tucked his bat under Rogue's chin, catching him by surprise. He slowly raised the man up to his feet then ran forward straight to a wall, crushing Sabertooth's Co master's throat dangerously hard. The Dragon Lord master applied pressure to the bat making it difficult for the other to breath.

"I could kill you here and now. But I need you to pass a message." Natsu said in a mocking manner. He leaned in closer so that only the raven hair man heard. "Either you guys back down or I will personally kill you."

The pinkette released the man from his grip and turned away. "Elfman, tell the other's to back off." He hollered out to the first floor. He turned to his comrade and other men. "Gajeel ensure there's no one else hiding." They all nodded and left going back through the rooms.

"As for you Rogue," He turned back to the coughing man who could barely sit up. "Make sure you tell your buddy Sting."

Natsu landed one final blow to Rogue with his bat connecting to the other man's side. The young Dragon Lord master stared hard at the man's damaged form before taking his leave down the stairs back to the entrance.


	32. Chapter 32

The early raises of sun seeped through the closed blinds covering the windows. The light coming in shined enough to bother the blonde curled up to a pillow. She moaned in annoyance fighting to keep her eyes closed but the sun's light won. The girl blinked her eyes open to examine her surroundings.

"Natsu?" She breathed unclutching the pillow she held dearly. His cologne was still faint on the fabric. Her hand sleeply reached over to feel for his presence only to grab something furry and warm. "Happy?"

Upon his name being called, Happy stretched his body out greeting her with a meow. The feline rubbed his head on her hand before proceeding to hop off the bed and trot out the room.

Lucy sat up in bed rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She didn't see anyone nor sense anybody else's presence in the room but hers. She heard nothing echoing in the empty house. Clothes of the man littered the floor. Happy's paws pittering down the wood stairs. She climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom stretching as she walked. The blonde splashed water on her face and brushed her teeth with a brush the pinkette had given her. When done, Lucy made her way to the kitchen knowing all too well the blue feline's waiting for his breakfast to be served.

When she rounded the corner to the kitchen, she gave herself a mini heart attack to see Natsu laying fish out in his pet's bowl. Lucy noticed the coffee and newspaper laid out on the kitchen island neatly. 'Am I that much of a heavy sleeper?' She thought walking to the man.

"Natsu?"

The said man stood up and turned toward her. "Good morning Luce."

The pinkette flashed her a smile but the dark circle under his eye's were unusual. He looked to have showered recently with his hair appearing slightly damp. Natsu was dressed in only sweat pants displaying his dragon tattoo proudly as well as his sculpted physic. The man put the fish back in the fridge and walked over to her.

"Did ya sleep alright?"

"Yeah I did." Lucy answered when he placed his big warm callusous hands on her arms gently making goose bumps appear on her cold skin. She raised a hand to his cheek frowning at him. "You look like you didn't get any sleep. Are you okay?"

"I feel wonderful Luce." He grinned moving away from her toward the cupboard and fridge. "You want some juice or coffee? The coffee's fresh."

"Juice is fine with me." Lucy squeaked climbing into Natsu's previous seat as he rummaged through the fridge.

She noticed that the paper was laid out on a section about two rival guilds fighting. It seemed to get terrible everytime she read the paper. Lucy didn't get to read today's print other than the title because of Natsu snatching up the paper quickly and replacing it with a glass cup in front of her. Lucy thanked him for the juice and sipped it a bit finding his behavior peculiar. She didn't bother to bring it up though.

"What are we doing today?" Lucy asked resting her head in her hands watching the man before her grab his mug and drink his coffee.

"You sucked me dry of money and still wanna do stuff? Geez, your expensive Luce. Maybe I should go to work instead." Natsu said monotonously putting his mug in the sink after chugging his beverage down then learning against the kitchen counter to get a good look at her.

She smiled and looked him square in the eyes. Lucy could really see the sleep deprived from him and the black rings under his eyes. Some how it made her feel some sort of way. She stood up from her seat and walked over to him, hugging him around the waist catching the pinkette off gaurd.

"How about we stay home all day?" Lucy cooed craning her head up to see him looking down at her surprised once again by her. "I could cook for you?"

She almost busted out in laughter at the way his face lighten up at her words. She could only assume 'cook for you' were trigger words. "That doesn't sound half bad babe." Natsu said with a toothy smile.

"Alright then. Ima go shower before we do anything." Lucy said breaking away from him and skipping to the stairs. She stopped at the first step, turning back to the man and grinned. "You still have to buy the groceries though."

"Cha, whatever fine looney." He groaned watching her leave.

Lucy giggled at his misery then skipped up the stairs. Natsu's frown turned into a smile as soon as he heard her footsteps from the second floor.


	33. Chapter 33

"Rogue, Rogue!" Sting yelled out frantically running into the building at dawn break. He saw people trying to repair damages and sweep up the debri lying around. Most of the people helping out were beaten and bruised a bit some were even bandaged up. The blonde growled to himself running up the stairs heading to a closed door. As he reached out for the door knob it swung open to reveal an aged pink haired older woman with a scowl on her wrinkled face. She was accompanied by a short blue haired girl who timidly looked down at the ground hugging a shoulder bag to her chest.

"Rogue is to kept on bed rest until his injuries are fully healed." She said. "He's not to stress himself with anything at all. Do I make myself clear."

"T-Thank you Porlyusica." Sting stuttered bowing his head in appreciation as well as being a tad intimidated by the woman.

"If you all weren't so reckless things like this would never happen and I wouldn't have to come running down here everytime something drastic happens that you can't go to the hospital for." Porlyusica grunted looking at the man then through the crack door to the other lying in bed. She sighed and spoke again. "But I suppose if it weren't for you idiots we wouldn't be able to be financially well."

"Come Wendy, let's get going." The older woman said starting to walk down the stairs with her long skirt dragging on the ground.

"Yes ma'am." Wendy squeaked rushing toward her with her long blue hair flying behind her.

Sting watched the duo leave before entering Rogue's bedroom. He saw his friend bandaged up like a mummy with his chest slowly rising with every breath he took. Rogue looked over at his friend upon hearing footsteps approaching his bed.

"I should have came home when you told me too." Sting muttered. "I'm so irresponsible."

"Stop being stupid." Rogue mumbled looking straight ahead at the ceiling. "Making yourself feel pathetic isn't going to change anything. They caught us by surprise thats it. But the reason for it was because we triggered him to launch an attack."

"You mean that girl? The girl we took photos of?"

"Yeah, thats the one. Even when he was here I taunted him about it and that made him more furious." Rogue chuckled at the thought. "We need to us that as an advantage. I told him we know her where abouts but it's not like he can shelter that girl forever. She's just a girl who's clueless."

"I'm going to clobber this guy when I see him." Sting said with his friend nodding in approval.

"No." Rogue said sternly turning his head to look Sting in the eyes. "Start with the girl, she's clearly the Dragon Lord master's weak spot."


	34. Chapter 34

"Hi Lucy!" Mirajane sang into the phone peeking the interest of two others by the bar where she stood wiping off the counter.

"Hi Mira." The blonde responded."How have you been?"

"Just working to no end." The older woman responded. "And how have you been lately? School going alright? Work okay?"

"I'm doing alright all around though I might be struggling a bit in science." The girl on the other end said amused. " But I do need your help with something."

"What do you need?"

"I-I uh told my b-boyfriend that I would cook for him tonight." Lucy began to whisper stuttering at first. "I cooked for him before it was something my mom showed me. But I really wanna impress him this time."

"Oh I see what you mean." Mira giggled. She saw Gray and her sister Lisanna taking a seat in front of her. Lisanna whispered 'Who's that?' and Gray mouthing 'That her?'. She said nothing in response to them as she continued to talk into the phone. "But why are you whispering?"

"I'm in his bathroom and I don't want him to hear." Lucy whispered again shifting a bit.

"Oh I see. Well in my experience in feeding hungry men, they love meat but hate anything health for the life of them. I know this one recipe that's a killer." The white hair woman beamed in happiness making the two people around her roll their eyes at the comment. "I can message you the recipe if you like?"

"Please do. I really want to do something nice for him."

"Alrightie then I will."

"Thank you so much Mira! I'll tell you how it goes later." Was all Lucy said as she hung up the phone. Mirajane nodded to herself pulling the phone away from her ear then swiping and typed on her phone after messaging the mentioned recipe.

"So you really are chummy with her aren't you?" Gray asked with a small smile.

"Yup. She's such a sweet heart. No wonder little Natsu likes her." She gushed.

"Natsu has a girlfriend?" Lisanna asked meekly hearing this all for the first time but not letting her face expression change a bit.

"Yeah. Oddly enough when I met her for the first time we made some kind of bond, but I'm guessing it was a bit awkward because of me." The long hair woman said looking up at them away from her phone.

"Can't believe flamebrain is okay with that." Gray chuckled.

"Hmp, he's okay with it because I can look after Lucy." Mira said in a 'matter-of-fact' voice. She grinned in triumph but it soon deflated when Gray rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me like that!"

Mirajane tossed her rag in the male's face making him back away.

"Fine. Tell Lucy to keep him away from here. I don't need a headache!" Gray laughed tossing the rag back then walking away telling himself out loud how whipped the pinkette is.

"Alrightie. We better get to work on lunch Lisanna." Mirajane said to her younger sister pumping her hand in the air in a silly fashion. She laughed a bit when her sister nodded her head with a fake smile adoring her face.


	35. chapter 35

"NATSU!" Lucy screeched from the lower level of the house.

The pinkette bolted up from his bed and flew down the stairs to the kitchen where he left the blonde.

"Lucy what? What is it?" Natsu asked panicked his eyes scanning the nearby windows and doors of his house.

He looked back at the blonde who looked teary eyed. Her hair was tied up in two low pig tails with a few pieces of hair falling, she dressed herself in one of his t-shirts and a pair of her shorts since she was coming short on clothes she packed in a haste nights ago. Lucy looked down at her sock clad feet to the blue feline that tried eating pieces of cooked meat that fell.

"Lucy?" He asked again taking a step toward her.

When they got home from grocery shopping, Lucy insisted that he go relax while she prepared dinner. Natsu had been reluctant to do as he was told. He would have rather spent his time watching her and enjoying her company some more, but to please her he followed her instructions. It's been half an hour since then.

"I'm messing everything up." Lucy said chocking on a sob as she slid herself to the floor.

"Luce, if you need help ask me. I won't think of you any different." Natsu said kneeling next to the blonde picking up one of the cubed meats that fell to the floor. He sniffed a bit then bite into it.

"No Natsu don't eat that!" She squealed reaching over him to retrieve the food in his mouth and hand.

The pinkette wrapped his free arm around her waist. He stood up lifting the girl up with him then setting her down on the clear counter top. Natsu swallowed the piece in his mouth and examined the remaining some in his hand. "What were you trying to make?"

"This meat stew soup." Lucy mumbled staring at her lap in failure.

"The meat taste good Luce. Why you freaking out for?" He asked popping the remaining piece of meat in his mouth to prove him point. Natsu hugged the blonde's waist resting his head on her ample chest.

"I didn't wanna ruin anything." Was all Lucy said looking away with a pout on her lip and a blush growing on her cheeks.

"Babe, I love you. And that means everything about you." Natsu mumbled into her body. "Even when you snore and kick me in bed or have morning breath."

"Idiot!" Lucy hissed smacking the pinkette on the head.

Natsu seemed unfazed, he rose his head up showing her the grin spread out on his face. He pressed his warm palm to her cheek and stroked it lovingly. Lucy felt mesmerized by his touch, all her anger vanished in a flash. Her heart began to clench and her stomach dropped. She was putty in his hands.

"Lucy can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Lucy responded staring the man straight in the eyes as he let his hands wander to her waist and rest there.

"If I asked something of you, would you do it? Without second guessing yourself or questioning it."

"What do you mean?" The girl asked confused.

"Just awnser me. Would you do anything I ask?"

"Yeah, sure."

Natsu squeezed her sides a bit before he could continue to talk. "Move in with me."

"What-" She said staring at him in disbelief.

"Come live with me, I have plenty of room for you. You don't even have to pay rent or anything. So you don't have to work either." The pinkette man reasoned squeezing her side again like if he let go he'd loose her or he had the ability to remove any kind of doubt the girl had. "I can even pay for your schooling. I have plenty of money. Plenty to support us."

Lucy furrowed her brows to process everything, she was shocked to respond to his request and understand it fully.


	36. chapter 36

Natsu sat back in his leather chair with his cell phone to his ear. He had an irritated look on his face as his fingers drummed along his dark wood desk.

"No awnser again." The pinkette hissed slamming his phone onto the hard surface. His eyes shifted from the device to the framed photo of him and the blonde school girl. It only made his anger grow.

A sudden knock on his office door distracted him. It flew open to reveal his friend and the bartending woman whom both respectively carried a folder and an open glass bottle.

Mirajane set the bottle on the desk without saying a word. She wore a grim expression as she looked over to Gray. He sighed to himself taking a few steps toward the desk waving the folder.

"Here's a detailed report on Sting and Rouge from the past few days. Now is there anything else before I go work on numbers." Gray asked dropping the folder in front of the pinkette.

Natsu kept his gaze down and only grunted to Gray. He pulled open the file reading through it. The raven hair man looked over to the bartender and shrugged his shoulders.

"He's behaving odd lately. He won't eat meals here and I'm worried he isn't at home. He's been in that kind of funk for a week now." Mirajane spoke as soon as Gray shut the door behind them. They began to descende the stairs. "What's wrong with him?"

"Honestly I have no clue. He's not usually so closed down about stuff bothering him. But if I had to guess, it's probably the misses." The man told her casually.

Mira stopped in her tracks to think before oohing. "Lucy?" She whispered.

Gray nodded making a beeline toward the bar with the woman scurrying after him.

"Gots to be the only reason. But if I asked flame brain he'd go ballistic right now."

"I should call Lucy later!" She said before leaving him momentarily to go behind the counter where business was relatively slow. "She could tell me something." She continued when she came back around.

"The day you met and befriended her, Natsu gave you explicit rules. Do not tell her where you work, do not mention you know him, don't say a word about Dragon Lord." Gray wagged his finger at her like he was lecturing a toddler. "Don't dare go around them."

Mirajane pouted. She reached under the counter top for a rag and began to wipe invisible dirt. "I just wanted to help."

"Then do so without causing trouble." Gray groaned pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll be off in the back, call me if anything happens."

"Yeah yeah." Mirajane said with a pout watching the male leave with a frown.


	37. chapter 37

"No no. Stop calling me. Please." She wepted into her pillow that was stained with tears. She watched her phone read '5 missed calls' before the screen dimmed then turned black. But just as it stopped it lit back up again with the same caller id.

Having had enough of it, she covered the device with the same pillow she held to her chest then walked off to her bathroom. It was starting to become midday with the sun still bright and high in the sky making it happy and cheerful. To the blonde today was an unhappy day.

Lucy stood in front of her bathroom mirror to assess the damage that had been done. Underneath her eyes were painfully red and dry to the touch from her constant rubbing she done. She leaned down to splash cold water on her face then pat it dry before making a mess. She brushed out her shoulder length hair and tied it up in a bun. Lucy walked out her bathroom to her small kitchen to search for something small to eat even if it would be no use when she'll change her mind a second after she chose something.

The blonde sighed to herself after giving up and retreated to her living room. The same events played in her mind like a curse that had no end. She so desperately wanted someone to console her but no one came to mind. Michelle, her childhood friend from her home town, was far away living her own life with her career. She would be far too busy to talk. Lucy refuse to burden her father, who had his own problems with work and his own health, with her own problems. Her mother can't offer any help from beyond the grave. And the person that's become the source of her problems isn't any help.

Her phone went off again faintly sounding through her small apartment.

"That's it, I'm turning it off now!" She told herself hopping of her small couch toward her bedroom. Lucy knocked her pillow to the ground grabbing the device but stopped herself from holding down the power botton.

"Mira." The blonde read the caller id. A small part of her felt grateful to see the woman's name. In a instant she answered the call. "Hello."

"Hey Lucy! How are you doing?" The woman gushed as she spoke enthusiastically to the blonde. Lucy could almost picture her smiling so brightly at her. "I hope I'm not calling at a bad time."

"Oh no no your not." Lucy said collapsing on her bed. She tucked a piece of stray blond hair behind her ear. "It's an okay time."

"Is it okay enough to have lunch with me? I know this cute little show with pastries that are Magnolia's finest."

"Sound fun. Why don't you text me the address and I'll met you there?"

"Sounds perfect! I'll see you then."

Lucy pulled the phone away from her ear and cracked a smile. Ever since moving to Magnolia she's had encountered people that were just beyond words. The college student pushed herself off her bed and went straight toward her large wardrobe storage closet. She rummaged through her clothes for a suitable outfit for the warm spring temperature. She settled on a flowy black and white maxi dress with simple white sandals.

Lucy went straight to the bathroom and gave herself a hot shower to remove any evidence. When she finished she dried herself off then got dressed. After her teeth were washed and hair was styled into a high ponytail, she zoomed out the door with her purse in hand. She looked over the address Mirajane gave her plus some helpful directions the silver haired woman added.

In a matter of fifteen minutes, Lucy quickly approached the venue Mirajane had mentioned. 'Scarlet Bakery' the sign read in bright red letters with a chibi face of a scarlet haired woman. Just as the blonde rounded the corner she noticed a shiny black car come to a stop in front of the shop.

"Wow that looks just like dad's." Lucy mumbled unknowingly to herself. She stopped in her tracks to see who'd come out and was surprised to see Mirajane herself slid out the passenger side.

"I'll call you to come pick me up okay?" She smiled placing a hand on the door ready to close it shut.

"Make sure you bring me a strawberry cake back." Someone shouted from inside the car.

"I will, I will." She replied closing the door as the car zoomed off back into traffic.

Lucy began to walk toward the woman feeling more calm. Mira stood there dusting invisible dust and wrinkles off her pink sundress. It almost made Lucy wonder how much pink the older woman owned.

"Hey Mira."

"Oh Lucy, you look so cute." Mira said with wide blue eyes walking to met the blonde.

"Thank you, your cute yourself today."

"Oh this? I just threw it on." Mira shrugged before looking at the shop and pointing. "Let's go in."

Lucy nodded and followed after the older woman. Right as she passed the threshold, Lucy's eyes wandered around her surrounds. The shop from outside was small and simple looking but within the exterior was a wide modern cafe. It was already filled with people and loud chattering with soft music playing in the background. There were small tables for two near the front and larger tables for four in the middle with the counter in the back displaying a menu with pictures of pastries, jucies, caffeine drinks, sandwiches, and cakes. The displays had freshly baked merchandise. A small section of the counter was a designated area for barstools. Mira and Lucy walked over to the barstools and took a seat.

"I come here all the time for their famous strawberry cake when I can. Twice a week when I can." Mira gush reaching over to grab to menus.

'Twice a week? She must have the most fastest metabolism in the world.' Lucy thought reading over the menu she was handed.

"So how's everything? Hasn't it been a week or so since we last talked." The older woman asked with her blue eyes scanning the menu.

"Everything isn't good." Lucy said without thinking. "I mean I'm fine, school is alright, my dad is fine but.." She had her eyes focused on a cute small image of a chibi character eating on a cookie. She didn't want to look up. "This guy, my boyfriend? I guess we have problems."

"Like what? Not enough attention?" Mira joked lightly looking over at the girl.

Lucy took in a deep breath. "He asked me if I would do anything he asked of me. I said sure thinking it was like taking care of his cat or doing small stuff for him. But no he asked me to move in saying he'll take care of me. It almost sounded like a proposal." She hesitated before continuing. "I'm only 19, I'm a college freshman right out of high school. I have school and work on my head. And he's already 26 probably thinking about settling down and kids."

Lucy's voice cracked toward the end. She felt relief telling someone this but something still ate at her.

"Oh Lucy. Did you tell him that?" The older woman asked placing her hand on the girls back rubbing circles.

"No." She squeaked. "I though he'd back off. He made being here away from everyone I knew so much fun. I'd shy away from it whenever we first talked."

"Dear, it's nothing to be so fearful about. He shouldn't have been so bold to demand something that big to you. If he knew he'd be considerate to understand."

The blonde nodded her head like a child. Mira smiled a bit then pulled her into a hug. "When something happens don't be scared to talk about it Lucy."

"Alright." She replied with a small smile.

"Eh, is that you again Mirajane Strauss?"

Lucy watched as her kind soft spoken friendly natured friend turned to face forward with her eyes looking down and a smirk come across her face. She almost looked devilish. "Yeah and?"

The blonde looked to the scarlet hair woman who had a menacing grin despite the frilly white apron with strawberry patches she had on. Her long hair was tied up on her head except for her bangs that covered half her face. Even with one eye showing she saw how dark they grew. "As always you can't stay away. How unfortunate. Such a terrible shame."

"Watch it Scarlet. Remember last time." Mirajane spoke in a harsh manner, it made Lucy shiver at what the memory could have been. The older woman's features softened when she came back to reality. "This is my friend Lucy, and I bought her here to try your famous cake."

"You mean the Scarlet." The woman said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Huh?" Lucy said too confused to understand.

"The 'Scarlet' is the famous strawberry shortcake here with the stawberry filling and decorative strawberries and red frosting decorating it." Mira began to describe the best she could. "Oh and this is Erza Scarlet, the owner and baker here."

"It's nice to meet you." Lucy said.

"Likewise." Erza nodded. "Since your a new customer here, I'll let you sample a piece of Scarlet."

"That would be awfully nice of you."

"Alright, I'll be back." The owner said walking away.

"How do you guys know each other?"

"Me and Erza were school mates and sorta friends. We use to brawl a lot as kids."

'Mira use to fight?' Lucy thought as she nodded her head to the woman.

"Don't let the outside fool you. You don't know someone until you know someone."

"What?"

"Alright." Erza exclaimed coming through the double doors from the back. She held two slices of cake. "One for Lucy and one for your she demon. On the house."

"Aw thank you Erzie." Mira cooed liking her lips.

Lucy thanked the scarlet woman and took a bite of her cake. She was met with a sweet tart taste of the filling and soft delicate sweet breat. It made her mouth water immediately. "Wow."

"Ah another satisfied customer." Erza said with a smile of triumph as Mira giggled a bit.

"ERZA!" A man yelled over the loud music behind the double doors.

"I have to go. Be sure to enjoy what else we have to offer." The scarlet woman said before leaving with her hair swishing around with every step she took.

"You know, they say she made this with her lover in mind." Mirajane whispered shoveling cake to her mouth with a devilish look on her face.

Lucy rolled her eyes not believing a word as she took in another delicious bite of cake.


	38. chapter 38

"Would ya stop with being a grump? Your starting to look stupid." Gray hissed with his arms crossed over his broad chest glaring at the moping young man.

But Natsu grunted lazily flipping through folders and folders of documents. He sat himself at his leather black chair since morning then practically barricaded himself with paper work for the guild's expenses. Though he is the master of Dragon Lord, doing financial documents and payments was something he highly disliked doing so when Gray came to check on Natsu's whereabout seeing him working was unusual for the pinkette to be doing.

"Mirajane's making steak for lunch, the hot and spicy kind you like so much." Gray threw himself in one of the chairs lined up in front of the pinkette's desk. He slouched in the seat and stared off into space to avoid eye contact even if the master was staring holes into his papers in hand. "She's making plenty for seconds, everyone in the guild's starving themselves till noon."

Natsu grunted once more.

"I'll call Gajeel if you don't freaking talk."

The pinkette remained silent scribbling furiously on his paper, he typed into his calculator beside him then went back to writing. The clicking sound of mashed buttons and pen to paper filled the room adding to Gray's irritation. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number that would miraculous bring him help if any.

"Yo Gajeel, you mind coming up for a minute? In his office. Because I asked you too." The raven haired man sighed once he hung up the phone. If he couldn't get through to his friend by small talk then someone who responses to bodily harm would have to do. He stood there waiting and glaring intensely at the pinkette who didn't look up once since he called. Once he hear hard foot steps coming up the stairs he let a sigh of relief flood him.

"Yo, why'd ya call me up here for? You know I got stuff to do." Gajeel grumbled as soon as he opened the door, he shut it behind him while a hand went to his black headband wrapped around his forehead. "What is it?"

"Fix him." Gray simply said jerking his chin toward their master.

Gajeel's brows scrunched up in confusion. "Ay Salamander, what's he talking about?"

Natsu grunted in response angering the piercing covered man.

"WHAT?" Gajeel grabbed Natsu by the collar and lifted him up over the desk so that now the pinkette's face was on full display. The long hair man shook the shorter man hard. "Well?"

Natsu gave him a death glare from his actions but still remained silent and let his eyes speak for him. His arms were limp at his side. He didn't kick nor try to pull a fast one to get out of the taller man's hold. He just hung there.

"If you won't tell me what's wrong then I'll find out." Gray stalked over to the dark wood desk and ran his hand over the surface. When he felt something off he uncovered the papers to find the pinkette's cell phone. "It's about her ain't it?"

Natsu's head dropped after that. Gajeel freaked out and let the pinkette fall like a sack of potatoes. "What just happened?" He began to shout.

Gray scrolled through the other man's cell phone going through his phone log and messages. All Gray saw was Luce, Luce, Luce. The very last message Natsu sent out was him begging for the girl to see his message and message him back. Gray felt his chest tighten to see how much one girl had this effect on his friend.

"Aye are you gonna answer me or ignore me? You were the one who called me up here after all! I could still be downstairs enjoying my food." Gajeel yelled toward Gray while Natsu stayed still on the ground.

"Flamebrain, go over to this girl's house and make up with her. You probably said something stupid."

As the words flew out of Gray's mouth, Natsu snapped back into reality pushing himself up to stare daggers at the man.

"I never said one bad thing!" The pinkette hissed angrily but the two men in the room knew different. "And you have no right to look through my things!"

"Gajeel, talk to him."

"About what? Salamander should know what he's doing."

"It's about a girl."

Natsu looked away from the pair of curious eyes staring holes at him. He didn't want anyone to see his cheeks get all pink.

"Oh gihi." Gajeel sat himself in a chair, he put a fist under his chin and cracked a smile. "One thing the Salamander don't even know. Love sick huh?"

"Shut up already metal freak! I don't need anyone's help what so ever." The pinkette hissed sitting cross legged.

"Say something so he doesn't mop. I can't handle him like that." Gray shivered dreading to stand in silence with the young master.

Gajeel put a fist to his mouth to prevent another laugh to come out before he spoke. "Listen Natsu. I might not understand what's happened with you and whoever and frankly I don't care to know. But girls are more delicate than any woman you been with. They require you to be more understanding a bit more. Like being in their shoes, ya know. Understand?"

Natsu scrunched up his face and looked toward his friend. Though they may have know one another through grade school there was a lot of things he continued to find out that surprised him. "How come you know so much Gajeel?" The pinkette asked innocently.

"I-I-" The said man stuttering with his face going red. He casually turned his head away to keep his composure. "I'm gonna go grub since I'm not needed anymore. Hmp." The pierced man grunted and left the room stomping with all his might.

"Why'd you make him come in here and lecture me?" Natsu asked standing himself up then straightening his pants. He heard Gray grunt and turn toward him.

"Gajeel might not show it but he's got a girl that he practically wifed. You might now know since you don't do shit around here." Gray commented to which Natsu looked else where before the raven man continued. "For once listen to what he's got to say yeah?"

Natsu glued his eyes to the ground in thought. He was touched his friends put effort into trying to help him.


	39. chapter 39

_"Aye Salamander, I wouldn't do that if I were you." One nose pierced teen called out with a smirk itching to grow on his face._ _"Shut up Gajeel! I know what I'm doing." The pinkette grunted as he continued to climb on top of the stone bridge rail. Once on top he smiled and waved frantically at his friends who stood afar._ _"What the hell is flamebrain doing now?" Gray asked with a sigh as he scooped up the other boy's bookbag and jacket he tossed to the ground. "I swear everytime I turn my back you guys do something idiotic."_ _"Tch. Like you and your exhibitionist self?"Gajeel grumbled looking away from the droopy eyed boy toward the pinkette who began to walk along the rail like a tightrope. "He did that to himself I only told him not to do it."_ _"HEY LOOK AT ME! I'M ONE OF THOSE CIRCUS PEOPLE." Natsu laughed hysterically with his hands on his hips and feet planted firmly to keep his balance. After a little more boasting the teen started to walk toward the end of the bridge with his two friend following cautiously beside him._ _"Enough playing around Salamander, you should get down before something happens to ya." Gajeel warned his friend with Gray bobbing his head up in down in agreement._ _The pinkette teen paid them no mind as he stuck one leg behind himself while looking them in the face. "What's the worst that can happen? I ain't gonna fall." Natsu spun around on one leg to face the rushing water that exist under the stone bridge itself. He gulped dryily. The though of himself on a boat that wobbled from side to side filled his head. He cursed his motion sickness he had for boats. Natsu began to loose his balance when his stomach began to lurch. "Oh man."_ _"Natsu?" Gray and Gajeel both said with their smile and smirks falling. "Natsu!"_ _The pinkette began to flap his arms in an effort to regain his balance all while he tried to plant his other foot down on the stone rail. He accidentally put all his weight down on the foot that failed to find its place on the rail. "Shit."_ _Natsu closed his eyes and felt himself fall back. He figured that he'd come out with a few scrapes and bruises. Instead of the hard cold stone floor, he knocked the air out of two._ _"Get off now!"_ _"I warned you."_ _Natsu was quick to get off his friends and help them up. As foolish as he was, he was glad to have two bickering friends. He smiled sheepishly at them. "Thanks."_ _Gray rolled his eyes and throw the pinkette's belongs at him as soon as he dusted himself off. Gajeel grunted after rolling his toned shoulders slightly. "Geez salamander, ya need to listen to me some more."_ _"Whatever metalhead!" Natsu shouted out childishly running off the bridge. The other teen grumbled chasing after him while the raven hair teen shock his head with a smile hiding on his face._


	40. chapter 40

Click click click went the woman's heels as she walk briskly down the dark corridor. A man dressed in all black rushed to her coming from the shadows along the walls she had passed by.

"Mistress."

"What is it now? Can't any of you do etiquette work without me rushing back here every twenty minutes?" The mistress responded with a harsh tone with her red heels clicking against the stone floor not missing a beat. The former scurried to keep up with the latters foot steps.

"It was a report you requested."

"And what of it?" She halted just before reaching the double doors that were before her.

"Both Dragon Lord and Sabertooth's activity are ruining the peace of Magnolia. The dispute between the two keeps to be growing. It won't be long till they endanger the citizens, their loved ones, as well as themselves."

"Is that so?" She hmmed in deep though. Placing a hand to her chin she stared at nothing but the darkness to concentrate. "If none of them are going to play nice, then we'll have to keep watch until we can intervene and put this all to rest again. Keep me posted of any other activities that either side may do, may it be big or small."

"Yes ma'am." He responded rushing into the shadows again as her heels began to click once more.


	41. chapter 41

'How is this suppose to be romantic?' The pinkette questioned himself reclining his head back onto the wooden door wrinkling the pair of black slacks and button up shirt he wore. He let a heavy sigh escape his lips switching his gaze away from the opposite door to the pink heart shaped box in his hands that was wrapped neatly with a red bow. 'Or was Gray just trynna make me look stupid?'

He pondered the though for a moment. A day after Gajeel spoke to him, Gray kept pestering the pinkette about making up with the 'missus' as he liked to call Lucy. The raven boy had suggested sending her flowers or chocolates or even some cute text message in an effort to recoil with one another. Natsu shock his head at all those suggestions and carried on with his day with the school girl in mind. The next day Gray shoved the same heart shaped box he held and told him 'You'll think me later for this.' then instructed him to go to the blonde and make up leading him to where he was now.

Natsu clenched his teeth almost gritting them from all the nerves eating at him. He wasn't one of those guys to be so nerves over a girl. He was use to women he messed with being putty to every touch of his but she did the opposite. His girl made him weak.

"N-Natsu? What are you doing here?"

The pinkette whipped his head up and saw her standing in a white button up shirt and black pencil skirt with black heels. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun with pieces of hair framing her brown doe eyes and plump gloss pink lips. She had her bag thrown on her shoulder with her hands keeping the strap from burying into her shoulder. The blush on her cheeks made him want to stand up, grab her waist and pull her close enough to kiss her.

"Here let me help you." Natsu rose to his feet reaching toward her to grab hold of her bag. Lucy let him take the bag without saying a word with her eyes trained on the wooden floors of her apartment complex hallway.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk."

Lucy nodded at him and then wordlessly went to her door unlocking it with the keys in her hands. She stepped inside leaving the door wide enough for Natsu to walk in. The pinkette closed the door behind him and walked toward the couch the blonde was straighten up. He looked through the windows that were open and felt relived to see no enemy ouside it. He set her bag on the coffee table and sat down next to Lucy who still refused to look him in the eyes.

"You been ignoring my messages for a while." He stated blandly even if the statement alone made his anger build. He wanted to say it harsher and colder so that she'd at least say something. 'Their delicate.' Gajeel's words invaded his thoughts. Natsu sighed to himself and reached for one of Lucy's hands that were placed on her lap like a princess would have done. His thumb stroked her hand softly taking in the feel of her soft skin. "Lucy, I missed you and I'm sorry about whatever I said to have upset you."

The blonde raised a brow and looked up at him but turned her face back down to her hands. They both sat there in silence neither one ready to speak. Natsu fidgeted with the box Gray gave him and Lucy's eyes stayed trained on her hands.

"Here." Natsu said with a sigh shoving the box to her lap. He was at the end of his rope. Normally they'll joke happily and wrap themselves in each other's arms. That was the only side he wanted her to see.

Lucy worldlessly took the box and grimaced but pulled the ribbon with little force. "Natsu?"

The pinkette turned his head slightly to see what she needed but his eyes nearly budged out his head.

There in the box he suspected was a box of chocolates wasn't it. Along the edge of the box was chocolate but in the center was a smaller heart that must have been glued to keep in place. In the smaller box was a key he didn't know to where it belonged to but along with the key was a note written in pretty cursive- I love you, Luce.

"What's this?"

'What the heck Gray? Your so dead.' Natsu thought resisting the urge to bare his teeth. He kept his cool feeling Lucy's curious gaze on him. The pinkette could only say what was true to his heart. "I- I love you Luce, please I beg you to forgive me."

He let a sigh of relief pass his lips but sucked it back in instantly when she shook beside him sniffling little by little. "Oh Natsu."

"What is it?" He asked turning toward her. Natsu collected her into his arms resting his head on top of hers. The young man noticed her grasp on the box tighten.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She weeped letting one hand trail up to the collar of his scarlet shirt. "I-I care deeply for you Natsu but this is all going too fast. I can't say the same words you tell me. I can't move in with you. I'm just scared."

Natsu stayed silent rubbing her back gently while thinking how stupid he was. He never took account her feeling in anything.

"Your older than me so you asking me all that the other day was you moving on with your life." She continued sucking in large amounts of air during each pause she took. "I'm still trying to do mine."

"Oh Lucy." He said sighing in relief once again. "You worried me."

Lucy pulled away from his hold to look him square in the face. Her eyes were bloodshot in such short time. Dried tears stain her pink cheeks. She had a questioning look for him to continue.

"You should have said all this Looney." Natsu said raising a hand up to crease her cheek, giving her a long look to admire her face. "I won't care if you said no. I just- I just want you to know anything I have is yours. Heck even Happy is yours. I love you Lucy. You made me go crazy this past week. I only purposed all that junk because having you by my side made me complete. Where ever you are is home to me."

After he finished talking the school girl broke down in tears clutching to his shirt even tighter. Worried he said something wrong, Natsu bent his neck further down to examine her face -he saw a smile.

"Natsu you idiot."

"I could say the same to you Luce." The pinkette said kissed the top of her head when she calmed herself down enough for him to do so.


	42. chapter 42

"I'm going to kill you." The pinkette said sternly with his cell phone pressed against his ear.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me? That's what a friend would do." The person on the other line scoffed in a uninterested tone.

"Ay, where does that key belong to?" Natsu asked curiously shutting a door behind him.

"Your house."

"When the hell did you make a copy of my house key? Wait. Don't answer that, you'll only piss me off." The young master growled making his way out of the apartment building. "My night was wonderful before I called you."

"You should be thanking me. Tch, I swear this is the last time I ever step in to do anything."

Natsu rolled his eyes at the comment ignoring it. He spent the rest of the evening with his sweetheart. She talked about her day in her classes and work, dabbled a bit in her school work to which he assisted her in some extent. He insisted on cooking for her while she worked on homework. Lucy was impressed by his culinary skills with what little she had in her kitchen. Natsu made sure after they ate that she took a bath so that she could go to bed and sleep soundly for school the next day. He laid in bed with her till she was sound asleep and it took everything in him to peel himself away from her sleeping form that clutched onto him even if he didn't want to.

"Listen, I'm heading home right now alright. Stay safe." Natsu told his friend then hung up the phone after Gray told him to do the same as well as bid him farewell.

The pinkette was giddy with every step he took down the streets. He parked his truck a few blocks away instead of the blonde's apartment complex parking lot, in fear that she would have saw and never came home. He rounded the corner when he started to hear the rattling of dumpsters behind the stores he passed. Natsu though nothing of it. But when he turned down the way to a small public parking area where his vehicle waited, a loud crash rattled him. He swung his head left and right on full alert to whatever the crash was. He didn't lower his guard a bit even when he inched closer and closer to his truck.

"Oh young Dragon Lord master~" A voice cooed in a sickening sing song tone.

Natsu narrowed his eyes and turned his head in all directions while one of his hands reached into his pocket. A rule of thumb his dad had advised him on, was to always have a concealed weapon of some sort. The pinkette's concealed weapon of choice was a pocket knife.

"Don't tell me the almighty Natsu Dragneel is scared." The voice spoke again from a place Natsu couldn't even pinpoint. "Your just like your dad. A pathetic excuse of a man."

The pinkette saw red at the very comment of his dad. Igneel Dragneel, may he rest his soul, was far from a pathetic excuse. Igneel was a ruthless man of power, something Natsu grew up learning.

"Good thing your dad's dead. He doesn't need to see how his son ran the guild he created to the ground." It continued.

"COME OUT AND TELL THAT TO ME IN MY FACE YOU COWARD." Natsu shouted not caring if it woke any civilian or alerted any cop that he didn't have connections with. No one speaks ill of his own father.

A shadow came forth from against a building. Slowly Natsu took in the appearance of the person. Their black pants and white tee shirt topped off with a blue and gold sleeveless vest but what set the pinkette off was the growing smirk on the blonde's face.

"The coward between the two of us is your own father." The blonde hissed.

The pinkette growled baring his canine teeth that were sharper then his other teeth. He knew who the man was. Sting Eucliffe, one of the Co masters of their rival guild Sabertooth.

"Shocked to see me?" Sting chuckled tilting his head up to look down at his rival. "Cause I'm very happy to see you." Sting casually took a few steps towards the other man.

Natsu didn't say a word as he charged toward him with a fist pulled back aimed for the blonde's smirking face. When he came just a foot away from Sting, Sting jammed his knee into the other man's torso sending him into a wheezing pile on the ground.

"You said you'd kill us! Where's that spite now?" Sting hissed giving Natsu a hard kick where he previously hit him. The blonde stomped on the fallen man's back satisfied when he heard choked coughs beneath his feet.

Natsu was struggling to move even struggling to regain his breath once more. He squeezed his eyes shut thinking about giving up now, feeling unable but as he did people filled his mind. Specifically Lucy. A though of her curled up to him during her overnight stay with him invaded his mind. She was peacefully napping against him with Happy jammed between the two. Natsu had envision the same scene but with a baby nestled happily against Lucy's peaceful form.

The pinkette's hand trailed back to his pocket for the pocket knife he hadn't forgotten about. He took it out so Sting who was still stomping his back won't see. Natsu was careful to open the knife then with all his energy, push Sting to the ground where the Dragon Lord master raised the knife to his neck. Sting stared up at him with a smile.

"Now you wanna play huh?" The Co master of Sabertooth asked. "Let's repeat history." He said in a whisper as he sent a punch to Natsu's head.

Groaning the pinkette got to his feet sucking in air as he did with his knife up ready to slash at the other man's face.

Sting ran toward him with a hand pulled back. He connected the punch sending Natsu in a daze. In his daze state Natsu was carelessly swinging the knife around enough to graze Sting just at his eyebrow. The blood dripping from the wound seeped down to cover the blonde's right eye. While Sting struggled to rid himself of the blood, Natsu regained his senses and sent the other man flying to the ground from the force of his boot. Dropping the knife, Natsu straddle the man and viciously punched him in the face not holding back anything.

"To hell with you." Natsu breathed between punches.

When the pinkette noticed the blonde not moving he stopped his punches and sat there trying his best to breath. When he felt okay to move he tried heaving himself up but felt pained at his side. He looked down at his torn scarlet dress shirt.

"I'm not so easy to put down." Said Sting slashing the pocket knife across Natsu's cheek with pressure.

Natsu hissed in pain getting up and away from Sting but got striked again getting cut on his neck. The blonde was huffing from his sudden movement. They both stared up at each other glaring daggers then charged at each other again. Natsu threw punches in no particular place and shielded himself with his arms as Sting came at him aiming for the open wounds on his side and face.

'I need to go to the guild hall or I'll be wasted out here.' Natsu thought ducking away from Sting's fist. He stole a glance at his truck still parked a foot away. He knew the blood from Sting's brow was still dripping down blood and hindering his right eye's vision. A plan came to mind when with Sting being so close.

Natsu punched Sting hard in the abdomen then when the blonde clutched his midsection the pinkette elbowed him hard in the back. Once he saw that Sting made no attempt to move, Natsu raced over to his vehicle as his hands searched in both pockets for his keys. He unlocked the drivers door and threw himself in locking himself inside. He hurried to jam the key in the ignition and put the vehicle in drive. Before long he was on the road leaving the public parking lot with Sting there.

Natsu drove to his guild hall and parked carelessly in front of it. He limped to the building that had lights pouring out the windows and music blasting while holding onto his side with what little energy he had. He barely made it through the door when some of his Dragon Lord members stared shock asking him questions he couldn't understand in his current state.

"Gray!" He faintly heard one say.

"Somebody get a chair! Get towels!" Another called out.

Natsu puffed out air before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he landed on the ground face first with a thud.

Gray came racing to the entrance with other members holding various of things. The music stopped as well as all merriment. With wide eyes the raven hair man could hardly speak seeing his friend in such a state.

"Someone call Missus Porlyusica." Jura called out from beside Lyon who stared as did everyone else.

Gajeel came rushing over from the bar. "Gray we gotta move him." The long haired man moved the unconscious man to his back with a worried gaze. "Everyone can't see him like this. We can't see him like this."

Gajeel called out to Elfman to help him move their guild master along with Gray who pressed a towel to his friend's side. Everyone who crowded the guild hall made a small path for the men leading to a small room that was lined with cots designated for drunk or injured members to rest.

The hall remained quiet only hush voices and footsteps running along the wood floors echoed.


	43. chapter 43

_"Do you seriously have to go?" Natsu, a young adult who just turned 19, whined watching his dad button his dress shirt sleeves as he done many nights._ _Igneel's dark eyes twinkled in amusement at his son's childish behavior. His once red hair darken with age and only recently showed sign of gray hairs that threaten to reveal themselves from the slicked back hairstyle. His tan skin wasn't as firm as his son's is, but now were slowly wrinkling around his eye, forehead, and mouth. "Now boy, don't start with me. I have business as do you."_ _"Buisness? Me? With who?" The pinkette asked lazily laying himself on his dad's made bed._ _"I need you to start looking into universities son. Organization or not, you will be an educated man of some buisness degree or what not. Everything I taught you over the years will come in handy." He chuckled seeing Natsu's face twist in disgust. Natsu graduated only a year ago from high school with his friends._ _"Why? It's not like it'll be useful to me. I'm gonna run a guild some day!"_ _"When I'm ten feet in the ground you will." Igneel grunted adjusting his belt then slipping his shoes on. "But here I am alive and kicking."_ _"As long as I'm alive and well, you need to do something with your life. Like getting a degree and working hard." The older man sighed and went to sit himself on his bed. "I started Dragon Lord out of nothing. My parents had died when I was only nine leaving me orphaned and to defend myself from the world. Even with that tragedy, I excelled in my studies all through high school." Natsu sat himself up when he saw his dad smiling down at the grow. "I couldn't go to college. I couldn't find aid to help me either. I thought I would go to school, make an honest living, find a wife and live happily. It was through the streets that kept me alive after I had to leave hallway houses when I wasn't a ward of the country. It was through the streets did I become the fierce man people talk so highly about. As well as how I slowly made a group and came to this point."_ _"Geez old man." Natsu smiled up at his dad who chuckled._ _"I aged so much because your my son. Imagine if I had two of you, I'd be a prune." Igneel swung his arm around Natsu's neck bringing him close enough to mess up his hair._ _"Watch it!" The young man laughed happily._ _Igneel released him and stood up grabbing a jacket that was larger then I_ _his form then drape it over his shoulders. "I got to get going or I'll be late. I trust you to not burn my house down."_ _"Sure thing." Natsu snickered walking out the room with his dad._ _After saying their goodbyes at the front door, Natsu shut the door and locked it. He went about his evening snacking on whatever was in the fridge and flipping through channels, idly looking through the many catalogs his dad gave him about schools, messing around with his friends on the phone then headed off to bed when eleven struck knowing when morning came he'd see his dad at the kitchen table with the morning paper and hot cup of coffee greeting him with a smile that made his face wrinkle. When his head hit the pillow he was out like a light._ _In the early hour of the morning, Natsu woke up to rapid pounding and the door bell pressed continuously. He groaned pulling himself out of his bed. He examined the time to be four in the morning, an unusual hour for anyone to come around. Natsu trudged down the halls of his empty home and twisted open the front door. To his surprise he was greeted by his nose pierced friend with long unruly hair and another man who was similar to his friend but had shorter hair. Metalicana Redfox. He seen him before in his father's guild hall being one of the rowdy ones._ _"Good morning Gajeel and uh Metalicana. What are you guys doing here? It's too early."_ _"Natsu get some shoes on and come with us. Its- It's urgent." Gajeel said with his eyes glancing up at his friend only for a moment then looked else where._ _"Uh yeah okay?" Natsu said rubbing sleep from his eyes to alert himself then grabbed his sneakers he left beside the door and tugging them on. He walked out the house in his sweatpants and t shirt locking the door after him. He followed the father son duo to their vehicle but was unsure what brought them to him. Especially Gajeel since. He had known his friend's father being in the guild for Metalicana was a founding father of it. As far as he knew Gajeel knew nothing of Dragon Lord but suspect now, that his father talked about it._ _Natsu watched as they drove out the Dragneel residence and into the silent streets that barely had people. When they turned a few corners, the pinkette scrunched his nose up in thought. "Uh Metalicana?" He was unsure what to say._ _"Natsu, I'm taking you to the guild hall. Just sit tight till we get their." Metalicana said as Igneel would have spoke to him when things got hard in life._ _Natsu's thoughts immediately circulated around his father and why he had to go to the guild instead of being called on his cell phone. It didn't take much longer until they reached their destination. Metalicana parked in the parking lot and Gajeel immediately jumped out the car telling Natsu to come out. The trio walked briskly to the building with Natsu's heart racing._ _When they got through the doors, Natsu saw all his father's men with solemn faces. They were either seated at the row of tables or stood against the walls drinking their hearts out. Gajeel's dad instructed Natsu to keep following him to the back where he saw a handful of people crowding the door. Natsu looked back to see Gajeel staying behind at the entrance staring hard at the ground. Metalicana push through the crowd to allow Natsu through. Natsu walked slowly further into the room as Metalicana told him to but stopped a foot away with his eyes widening._ _A woman about his father's age with aging pink hair turned her head slightly away from the cot she stood over. "You must be Igneel's son huh? Almost a splitting image of him when he was younger."_ _"What's going on?" Natsu asked unsure of anything now._ _"I am Porlyusica. I am a underground doctor of sorts." She began to say turning to face him fully. "And I'm very sorry to say that.." She paused casting her eyes to the ground and side stepping a bit for him to see. "That I done everything I could."_ _Natsu's looked away from her face to the cot to pale in horror. Igneel Dragneel laid on the cot with his slicked back red hair fanned out, his eyes were closed from exhaustion with bruises and scratched littering his face, his shirt was torn open to reveal many scars as well as a white bandage taped where his belly button should be, nothing about him appeared to be the same person that left hours earlier. The pinkette walked slowly to the cot till he fell to his knees beside his dad. The slow rising of his chest didn't put him to ease. "W-what happen?" He asked in disbelief. "He only had buisness." Buisness in term of his dad's organization meant bribing or building relationships with more officials with power._ _"Igneel got ambushed on his way back with no one around. We could only suspect that that rising guild, Sabertooth, caused this." Porlyusica said sadly. "He was stabbed deeply in the abdomen where I can not stitch. The wound is deep enough to have torn through muscle where the bleeding can't be stopped. He lost a lot of blood being moved here."_ _"Dad." Natsu said in a low whisper hoping to hear Igneel greet him or see his dark eyes smile at him. The young adult grabbed his dad's hand and begin to sob and sob. He sob harder when he felt his dad squeeze his hand but released it just as fast. Porlyusica kept her lips in a tight line looking away. Metalicana moved guild members who were looking on away from the doorway. Nothing could be heard in the earlier hour of the morning except the cries of pain._


	44. chapter 44

Sunlight snuck it's way through the blinds that were open a crack. The annoying tune of a alarm went of. All interruptions to the blonde who moaned annoyed of it all. When her eyes finally open she smiled softly then let her right arm wander to its side looking for something.

"Natsu?" She asked hoping to hear him respond but heard nothing. Lucy pulled herself out of bed and made her sock clad feet walk out the door.

She saw no sign of him in her bathroom nor her living room or the kitchen. She did end up finding her school binder pulled out her bag, upon further investigation she found a note:

Sorry I had to leave you, as much as I didn't want to, but I had business to take care of. I left you some money for breakfast incase you woke up later. I love you babe.

Love Natsu

Lucy became all giddy by his note. She could never describe how much her heart pounded for him.

The blonde skipped to her bathroom to splash water on her face then put on mascara and put her hair up in two low pig tails that Natsu loved seeing. She went to raid her closet for an outfit fitting for her day in school. She settled on a simple blue dress that had a white collar and two buttons at the top. She also paired it with white lace up canvas shoes. Lucy gave herself a look over and hoped Natsu would surprise her with a visit or even message her for lunch.

Lucy gather her school bag and picked up the money the pinkette left. She went out locking her door behind her.

'My first class isn't for another hour. Maybe I should go enjoy myself some breakfast. I could go to that Scarlet bakery, the thought of that strawberry cake is making my mouth water.' Lucy thought happily basking in the early morning sun.

It wasn't long till she walked down the familiar pavement that lead to the bakery. She went to pull the door open when the door nearly knocked her in the head.

"Oh I'm terrible sorry."

Lucy looked up to see a pair of dark blue eyes and messy blonde hair. If she never met Natsu, she would surely have blush at how handsome she thought he was. Even more so with the slash on his brow that made him more attractive.

"I didn't hit you did I?" He asked staring down at her.

"N-no, you didn't." Lucy said flashing him a kind smile.

He returned the smile and open the door wide enough for her to enter careful not to hit her with the plastic bag he held. "There you go." He gestured for her to enter.

"Thank you." Lucy said nodding her head and walking in.

She went straight for the counter where the scarlet shop owner stood watching on with a stern expression before going all smiles when she saw the blonde.

"I suppose you came back for cake?"

"Yes I have." Lucy happily replied.

"L-Luc-y." Natsu mumbled alerting Gray who was seated not far away on his phone.

"Gajeel, he's waking up!" The raven hair boy hollered out the door rushing to the pinkette's bed side.

The young guild master was wrapped up in bandages and kept still with two pillows on either side of him preventing his from moving in his sleep. Gray watched as his friend's face twitched. Gajeel arrived shortly after with the blue feline in his arms.

"W-where am I?" Natsu asked struggling to open his eyes with the bandages on.

"We brought you to your house. Man what happened to you? You had everyone worried sick about you." Gray said with a small smile. "Porlyusica fixed you up but not completely. She said you can't do anything that opens that big cut you got. She said your going to worry her again"

"Alright." The pinkette sighed.

"We're gonna be here to take care of ya though. Mirajane's gonna cook ya favorite foods, Lisanna's gonna bring them over, I'll make sure to feed this guy," Gajeel said giving Happy a gentle stroke. "Everyone in the guild hall even making groups to look after your place incase whoever got you comes back."

"Wow." Natsu said staring at his ceiling. If he could smile he would have, his father's guild, the guild he inherited, was all the family he's known. And he loved them all for it. "Give me my phone."

"No. You need rest." Gray said sternly crossing his arms .

"But..Lucy.." The pinkette mumbled squeezing his eyes tightly.

"You can get your phone when you get a few more hours of rest."

Gajeel was laughing his weird laugh with Happy swishing his tail when the blonde's name was said.

"Heh, always sounding like a mother." Natsu huffed out but cringed slightly feeling tingling pain on his jaw. His throat began to sting.

"Listen, I know you can't speak much but tell us who did this." Gajeel showed no emotion as he said this.

The pinkette stared up at his friends who shared the same expression. "Sting."

"It told ya. We gotta retaliate." Gajeel growled to Gray who was hesitant to agree. They were a group with only one person who spouted orders and he was wrapped up in bandages.

"No."

"We can't just-"

"Porlyusica said if you rest enough and not move an inch the wound on your abdomen will heal and that's the only thing we need to worry about." Gray with his arms crossed and a determined look on his face. "In two weeks we'll figure out a plan."


	45. chapter 45

"I need to see you so badly."

Lucy ran with all her might down the pavement in the strappy sandals she had grabbed without thinking.

"I missed you."

Her breathing became heavy and her lungs began to hurt from keeping her mouth open as she ran.

'I'm coming Natsu, I'm coming.' She thought with her flushed pink face covered in cold sweat under the summer heat.

Weeks before he had contacted she started to study her heart out, then weeks after he came to pay her a visit she took her final exams for the semester letting her regain her freedom for only three months. Lucy was miserable, she sent him tons of messages and feared he had grown bored of her. Hearing from him earlier that day sent her stomach flipping continuously and even more when she heard his deep velvet voice.

Lucy stopped when she saw his house and his black vehicle parked in the drive way. She knocked on the door, holding her breath. The door opened slowly for her to catch a glimpse of blue trying to come out the door.

"Happy, stay back."

But the feline didn't pay attention as he slipped out the door to nuzzle against the blonde's bare leg.

"Aw." She said kneeling down to pick the cat up who wagged his tail happily like a dog would.

"Lucy."

The said girl looked up at the call of her name with a smile but slowly the corners of her mouth turned down. "N-natsu?"

The pinkette leaned up against the door frame with an arm against his naked bandaged midsection. He had a smile on his face despite his neck and cheek covered with a brown bandage. "You don't know how happy I am to see you." He said with his dark eyes softening.

"What happened Natsu? Why are you hurt?" Lucy asked taking a step toward him.

"Oh these?" Natsu said touching his neck lightly, grimacing only a tiny bit from the touch. "I got hurt messing with my friends nothing serious."

Lucy didn't press on about his injuries but smiled. "You idiot. I haven't heard from you in so long and here you are worrying me." She took his hand and held it tightly.

Natsu let out a chuckle and squeezed her hand before letting go and opening the door for her. "Come on in, a friend of mines brought some sweets over."

The blonde stepping into his home with the cat cradled in her arms meowing it's heart out. She watched the pinkette using his right leg more than the other. The tattoo on his back looked sad with every step he took like the dragon itself was in the fight. Lucy skipped over to the living room couch before Natsu could so she could help him. When they were both seated, Lucy examined the coffee table in front of them it was filled with sweets as he mentioned. Cookies, sandwiches, and a cup of coffee half done.

"Looks like your friends been taking real good care of you." She commented helping herself to the plate of untouched cookies.

"Yeah they have. They're all like family." Natsu told her watching her settle into the couch inching just a little closer to him. He had to hold back the chuckle that wanted to come out when he saw her munching on her cookie like a kid. "How have you been since we last talked?"

"I took my finals a week back. I think I did good." Lucy told him scooting herself a inch closer to him.

"Oh I see. I'm glad babe." Natsu said placing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to his chest but not too close to bother his injuries.

Happy lepted onto the couch with a meow trying to squeeze himself between the couple. Lucy giggled and scratched the feline behind the ear. Natsu smiled faintly at the scene before him with his eyes drooping a bit.

"Don't fall asleep here!"

"Huh?" He asked finding it hard to keep his eyes open.

Lucy huffed and stood up abruptly making Happy hop off the couch. "If your going to sleep, your going to your bed."

Natsu slumped a bit forward for his bangs of his messy hair to cover his eyes. He smirked when he felt her grab his arm and tug on it. "Come on Luce, you can't move me and I'm too sleepy to move myself. Just a quick nap alright?"

The pinkette closed his eyes after a moment of silence only assuming that she was fuming with anger. He reclined his head back and got comfortable. He listened to the quietness around him. Happy had walked away to his bowl in the kitchen, he guessed. Lucy probably wandered somewhere. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep he felt something on his lap. In an instant he opened his eyes and they widened at the site.

Lucy had straddled his lap and was looking down on his with eyes he hasn't seen before. Her hair was pulled into two low pig tails that moved when she brought both her arms up to his shoulders.

"Let's go to bed Natsu." She purred like a cat with her brown eyes half lidded. Lucy cupped the pinkette's cheek to make him look her in the eyes more.

Natsu opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He rested his hands on her hips still gazing up at her. His cheeks were heating up growing a small blush. The pinkette closed his mouth an let a smirk take over. "I suggest you rethink that request of yours."

Lucy's half lidded eyes opened wide and her hands dropped down to her side all while a blush grew on her own cheeks. "I-I What do you mean?" She tried to get off him but Natsu's hands squeezed at her hips wordlessly telling her not to move.

Instead of answering her, the pinkette chose to slowly move his face closer to hers. He brushed against her lips asking for her permission. Lucy gasped at the action but gave him a peck as her answer. Natsu greedily kissed her with every ounce of force he could muster through the strain of his sore muscles around his injury. He moved one hand to her lower back and the other to her bare neck pulling her even closer to his reach. Lucy held herself up at his shoulders while being sucked into his grasp more and more.

"Luce." Natsu mumbled breaking away from her lips to breath in air. He watched her huffing in air with her lips slightly swollen, it brought a smile to his face. "Do you want to.." He paused to move the hand on her lower back further down to her bum where he gave it a squeeze to emphasize what he asked. "go further?"

Lucy stared him in the eyes with her cheeks still flushed pink. Just as he thought she'd say no and he would be somewhat upset, he heard a small yes.

"I want to go further Natsu." She said bravely but the stern look she had dropped when her eyes traveled down his bare chest. "But your hurt."

"Don't under estimate a Dragneel babe." The pinkette breathed happily with a grin. He scooted himself to the edge of the couch with Lucy grabbing onto his shoulders. When he stood up, Natsu placed her legs around his waist not caring for his injured side and put his hands on her bum which made the blonde shiver unknowingly in delight. Lucy thought when he took a step they'd fall over but she was surprised when he walked effortlessly to the stairs with a limp or wincing in pain.

Natsu walked up the stairs slowly, heading straight to his room. When they got in, the pinkette closed the door after him to ensure the blue feline wouldn't bother them. He sat on the edge of his bed where he examined the girl on his lap. "You really want this Luce?"

"Yes Natsu." She said with a small smile.

He slowly laid back on the bed with her on top of him. Lucy was cautious of his bandaged up midsection but was too engulfed in her thoughts of being so closed to Natsu, that all worry vanished. The pinkette laid a hand back at her bum and his other hand on her cheek to guide her to his mouth again. When their lips reconnected Natsu took charge and went on nibbling and biting her lower lip while letting his hand on her bum rub and feel around. Lucy felt like putty obeying to his actions and blushing like crazy to his touch. As inexperience as she was, she couldn't contribute to what Natsu was doing but she enjoyed it and thought it was unfair somehow.

At some point Natsu ripped his mouth away from hers to move along her neck that was on full display because of the pink striped v-neck shirt she decided to wear today. His mouth began to suck hungrily on the bend of her neck where her neck and shoulders met. He worked and worked on that particular spot. Lucy tried to keep her mouth closed through it all after regaining her breath, the sound that tried to escape her lips was too embarrassing to let the pinkette hear. But Natsu let out a low growl.

"Luce, keep your mouth open."

Lucy was a lost for words that only made him groan.

"Come on Luce, sing for me." He told her in a husky tone staring her straight in the eyes. When she refused to listen, Natsu placed both hands on her bum and squeezed them hard. Lucy gasped with her whole face going pink. Natsu smirked and places his mouth back on her neck. As he began to suck on her cream colored skin, he squeezed her bum ever so often to hear her moan softly. When he thought he sucked enough the pinkette bit down on her skin hard enough to leave a mark. Lucy squealed at the bite but was in a daze to feel pain.

"Luce, lay on your back." Natsu instructed her.

She did as he told her to do without hesitation. Natsu climbed over her placing a knee between her legs and hovered over her.

"Do I have your permission Lucy?" He asked again even if he had such a painful longing for her.

A dazed Lucy nodded her head with her brown doe eyes clouded over.

Natsu eagerly went to her clothed ample chest. He squeeze them gently at first, feeling excited by the touch of them. Lucy let out a squeal but was excited for more. The pinkette pulled the girl's shirt up over her chest so that he could see more but growled when he saw something in his way. Instead of taking her bra off, he resorted to taking both large mounds out the cup. Natsu thought for a moment that he would surely have a nosebleed but he wasn't sure why since he, shamefully, has seen many woman's naked bosoms.

Lucy was shivering in delight when he started to fondle her large mounds. Her body grew more excited when he began to pinch and rub her nipples. At some point she looked away when Natsu brought his mouth to her naked chest and began to suck on one mound then play with the other before switching. While he did all this the pinkette's knee he placed between her legs crept up and rub at her most sensitivity area. She was moaning to Natsu's delight.

He stopped playing with her naked chest when he was satisfied and let his hands move down to the denim capri bottoms Lucy wore. Natsu unbutton her pants and tugged them down till they were off her body. His eyes now rested on the underwear she wore. He looked back up to the blonde to see her brown eyes were clouded with lust. Natsu tugged her shirt off her body and then unclasped her bra. He took the sweat pants he wore off to show how bare he was underneath.

Lucy was a blushing mess watching him slide off the bed and take off his pants. She blushed even harder then ever possible when he rummaged through the night stand beside the bed and pulled out a foil covered package. He ripped it open and slid a plastic on his erected genital.

"Ready Lucy?" He asked her once more.

Lucy nodded her head getting on her knees waiting for him to get back into bed.

Natsu got back on the bed and laid on his back. He told Lucy to take he underwear off and get on top of him. She did just as she was told without objecting. Lucy stayed on her knees looking at Natsu's cock with fear as he adjusted himself but she didn't say anything when he told her to sit on it. She eases herself on it while biting her lip heavily. Natsu's hands stayed on her hips but trailed up her back and pushed her down so that she laid on top of him.

Lucy closed her eyes fearing for the pain that'll come like how she read in book but nothing happened. She opened her eyes to see Natsu with his eyes closed as well before his opened.

"Scared baby?" He asked bringing a hand up to stroke her cheek.

Lucy shock her head no loving the affection he was giving her.

"I'm going to move now." He told her as he wrapped his arms around her bare waist and propped his legs so he had leverage to move.

Natsu began to slowly pump in and out of her, after testing the water for a bit he took it up a level. He began thrusting his hips as hard as he possibly could. When Lucy began to whimper, he stuck his mouth on hers kissing her to soothe her. Soon he felt Lucy bucking her hips to met his. He groaned feeling her warm insides swallowing him. They both broke the kiss making Natsu thrust more into her. Lucy tried to keep her moans quiet but found it hard to. From all Natsu's thrusting she found herself nested on the pinkette's head with her ample chest in his face. Natsu began to suck on her large mounds as Lucy tangled a hand into his pink messy hair.

It wasn't long until Lucy began to feel a tingling sensation rip through her whole body. She tugged on the man's hair and held onto the pillow bellow his head. Natsu felt her insides squeeze around his cock as his genital began to feel painful and ready to explode.

"N-Natsu, I feel funny." She said softly.

Natsu kept his hold on her waist as he drove into her with more force. "It's okay Luce. Don't worry." He tried to calm her but his climax was about to reach him.

"Oh Natsu~" She moaned bucking her hips and tugging harder at his hair.

"Damn it Luce." He growled feeling himself cum at last.

Lucy came after him and collapsed on top of him trying to catch her breath. Natsu closed his eyes trying to do the same. When they both were able to breath, the pinkette slid the girl off him. He slid the used condom off and tossed it carelessly on the floor. He turned to his side to cuddle into the girl but hissed as the pain ate at him. Lucy heard this and turned to her side so she could cuddle to his side like a puzzle. The blonde was all smiles with her eyes closed.

Natsu looked her up and down and saw how a mess she was. A perfect mess. Her hair was matted, her lips were redder, and the big red mark on her neck. It made him proud. "I love you Lucy." He uttered those words into her hair as he kissed the top of her head. Lucy mumbled in acknowledgement growing still by his side.


	46. chapter 47

"Luce." He cooed wrapping his arms around her abdomen with his head rested on her shoulder to observe her.

Natsu was more than delighted to have slept soundly to through the night. Even more so when he woke in a fright without the blonde curled to his side but found her in the kitchen with his shirt.

Lucy smiled hearing his voice and continued to her task of cooking scrambled eggs for them to eat. When she finished she severed them onto plates with fried ham. The blonde even had a cup of coffee made for the pinkette.

"Your amazing babe." Natsu said with a cheeky grin taking his seat at the island counter.

"Mmhm." Lucy hummed seating adjacent from him.

They ate their breakfast peacefully with Happy nudging his head ever so often on Natsu's leg begging for pieces of ham. Natsu told a few jokes that made Lucy either giggle, her cheeks go pink, or earned the pinkette a smack on his thigh. After they finished their meal, Lucy took the dishes to her sink and washed them while the young master sat there waiting for her to finish.

"Why don't you take a shower so I can change your bandages for you." The girl said drying her hands off approaching the man with a smile on her face. She looked amazing in his eyes even if this wasn't the first time he woke up to see her in the morning. Messy hair and all, his chest hurt.

"Are you sure it's not a trick to get in my pants again Luce?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

Lucy smacked his thigh again with more force then before to make him wince. "Shut up and go."

Natsu rolled his eyes but did as he was told. He walked up the stairs and entered his bathroom. He stripped himself of his pants and jumped into the shower. After he was done he dried off and pulled on a simple t shirt and shorts. Then headed back down the stairs for the blonde.

Lucy was seated on the couch with a cat toy in hand playing with Happy. In front of her were bandages and antibiotics laid out from the first aid that he assumed she found. Natsu walked over and seated himself on the coffee table in front of the other two occupants.

"How nice." He commented when his presence went unnoticed.

The blonde looked up at him then back at the cat clawing his heart out for the bell inside the small ball she held. "Hush." She let the cat have the ball after a while. Lucy faced Natsu pulling his shirt up and ripping off the bandage from his side.

"Ow!" He exclaimed between clenched teeth.

"You had it coming somehow." She hummed ripping open the alcohol wipe and rubbing it onto his wound. She still questioned how he hurt himself but said nothing about it. Lucy went on and dabbed the antibiotic cream over the cut.

"So how long is my Luce gonna play doctor?" Natsu asked in a playful tone watching her place a new bandage to his cut.

"Let's see, I'm done with school for the summer but I got longer hours at work. I guess as long as you'd like."

"Do you have work today?"

"Yeah I actually do. I just wanted to make sure you were taken care of before I leave to my place." She replied repeating the process on Natsu's neck injury. "I'll be back later." Lucy continued with her eyes trained on her task and not on the boy smirking down at her. "I'll make sure to pack a bag enough for a few weeks if you don't mind."

"I don't mind anything as long as I get to wake up with you in bed." He chuckled seeing the blush on he cheek.

Lucy tore the bandage on his own cheek off without warning making him yelp in pain. "I don't think you need a bandage on your cheek. It looks healed up." She commented only wiping it with a new alcohol wipe then covering it with antibiotic cream. "Alright. Looks like your all done. I'm going to go get dressed now."

"I wish I could keep you all day." He said cupping her cheek in his large hand. "Thank you." He leaned forward and gave her lips a peak then placed his forehead on hers. "I love you, Lucy."

"Okay. So that should be enough, shouldn't it?" Lucy asked herself examining several outfits she had laid out on her bed. She already had some underwear and two work outfits packed in a suitcase that still waited for her to fill it. She had three pairs of shoes that went with all the clothes she was taking and her hygiene essentials bag waiting beside the bag.

She herself was dressed in a white button up shirt with a black pencil skirt and her hair styled up in a bun ready for work. Lucy was beyond happy when she left Natsu's home. She was so eager to get back. After a few minutes of debating she folded the clothes she had on her bed and stalked them nicely into her suitcase. She zipped up the bag and rolled it to the front door of her apartment where her low black heels and purse awaited her.

In a matter of minutes Lucy left her home with the suitcase in tow now matter how peculiar it looked. She headed down the few short blocks to the restaurant smiling widely at everyone she passed, stranger or not.

'You only got a six hour shift today. Do your best.' The blonde chanted in her head happily. She rounded the corner to see her destination come into view.

Just as she'd approach the entrance a hand planted itself on her shoulder. Lucy immediately got scared and turned to look over her shoulders then her eyes grew wide. She saw the whites of their teeth as they grinned at her. Lucy then felt an arm around her waist and a cloth over her nose with darkness washing over her.'Natsu..' She faintly thought with the young man's smiling face popping into her head lastly. She felt herself being pulled somewhere as her eyes rolled into her head. She lost feeling of her purse that was over her shoulder and the handle of her rolling suitcase.


	47. chapter 48

"Happy." The pinkette yawned climbing down his stair case still drowsy from the nap he took hours earlier. "Lunch time."

The said cat skipped it's way to the kitchen ahead of him as he followed after. Natsu threw the refrigerator door open looking through its contents. He squinted his eyes grabbing the almost empty packet of his fish before looking at something that caught his eye. There on a plate was a sub sandwich already put together and ready to be eaten, in front of it laid a piece of paper propped open.

'Make sure you eat lunch. I'll bring home dinner. Lucy.' It read with the blonde's small handwriting along with a cute little chibi of her.

The young master woke some at the site and took the plate out. He first served his cat then seated himself at the counter. They ate calmly in silence only the sound of Happy's purring filled the empty house.

"I wonder when she's gonna get home." He grumbled taking a bite out the sandwich that tasted more mouth watering with every bite. 'Maybe I should have asked instead of messing around when she was getting out the door.' He thought with his mind wandering to earlier that morning when the blonde was submissive to his grip on her waist as he teased her with kisses as she tried to inch closer to the door.

Natsu sent Lucy a quick text message and stood up to clean his dish. Afterward he went and tidied up upstairs, making the bed then gathering his clothes he left to throw them in the washer. He straighten the downstairs by cleaning Happy's litter box and tossing the feline's toys to there designated area. When he was finished, Natsu settled onto the living room couch to ease the pain of his heal side wound. The pinkette checked his cell phone to see no answer before resting his head back.

'It's barely even noon. She'll message me when she gets on her break.' Natsu though looking up at the ceiling. 'Maybe another nap before she comes home.' He closed his eyes shut and drifted to sleep again.

By the time Natsu woke up again, he was greeted by darkness and Happy's claws scratching up his legs.

"I'll turn the lights on just give me a minute." He said aloud to the cat who kept on scratching for attention. The pinkette groggily opened his eyes and blindly touched around the couch seat surface. When he felt his cold device he turned it on to see any notification and saw none. The light of his phone woke him some so that he noted the time. Eleven fifteen at night. He had slept more than he intended but more so, Lucy hadn't answered him.

He stood up abruptly sending the cat flying as he walked toward the kitchen with his cell phone to his ear.

"Lucy, pick up the phone already." He growled with his chest thumping against his skin. After a couple of moments the pinkette was sent to the school girl's voice mail where her prerecorded message made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Gray. Gray!" Natsu whispered frantically tapping against his cell phone screen and then putting the device to his ear again. "Please don't be working."

"Hey man, you need something?" The droopy eyed man's voice spoke after a few rings.

"G-gray, I'm freaking out. I'm worried. I just-" Natsu tried to speak but fumbled with his words. Nothing he said was making sense. The man on the other line noticed that much.

"Calm down Natsu. What's wrong?"

"Lucy. She went to work this morning. I fell asleep and I woke up again and it's eleven at night and Lucy's not here." The pinkette was panicked as he spoke nothing was soothing his mind.

"Chill alright. I'll be over in a minute, I'll have some guys look at her apartment and that place she works." Gray spoke sternly enough to snap his friend out of his panicked state enough for him to respond and breath.

"ERZA! ERZA!"

"Huh?" The scarlet hair woman looked over her shoulder to her silver haired friend rushing into her establishment. "Mirajane? Why are you here so early? Did something happen to Elfman or Lisanna?"

When she shook her head no as she inhaled sharply, Mirajane looked as if she'd cry if she moved. "Lu-Lucy. She's gone or missing or something. We can't find her." The woman said on the brick of tears settling herself at the counter. "Our whole guild went looking for her. Gray sent me over to see if you can do anything. Natsu can't even shout orders, I think he's worried more than anyone."

Erza's eyes furrowed at the news. She dug into her apron pocket for her cell phone. "When was the last time anyone has seen her?"

"Um, in the morning around nine or ten. She left for a shift at work, that's what Natsu said."

Erza nodded looking down at her phone, it was already six in the morning a whole day after. "If I find anything on Lucy I'll let you know in an instant. I promise you Mira."

"Oh thank you Erza." Mirajane said with her watery blue eyes.

The silver hair woman rushed out the small establishment with the same speed as before. Erza stood there watching her friendly rival's retreating form until she saw her no more.

"I know that Sabertooth master has something to do with this." The scarlet muttered to herself scurrying to the backroom.

She shouted to her two helpers in the back that she had business to take care off to which they complied to without a word. She then marched to the door that was covered by a red fabric. Erza swung the door open and climbed down the stairs where someone from the shadows approached her.

"I had already said that if they harm anyone outside their respective guilds we shall intervene." She spoke with anger laced in her voice.

"Yes of course mistress." Her companion responded back with the bob of her head.

They slowly came to a stop at another door, this one was a double door covered in what appeared to be red satin. It slowly was pulled opened inward to show Erza what was going on in the room.

In the spacious room about a hundred people gathered. Some were surrounding a small bar off to the right with laughter and chatter. Others were seated amongst the twenty or so tables in the middle of the room; eating, playing, or talking. There were few people up on the second floor talking in hushed voices while examining a board. All this Erza seemed accustom to.

"A innocent girl I have come to know is missing. I am not siding with any side." She spoken again only so that the person beside her heard. "But Fairy Tail shall intervene on her behalf."


	48. chapter 49

"Natsu. Natsu. Natsu."

"Shut up!" Sting hissed peering into the small room from a gap in the door. He watched the figure under the tattered sheets still then whimper from a cry threatening to come out. The blonde soon left the room and headed back up the stairs he had came down from.

"Sting there you are." He heard someone say when he rounded the corner after locking up the door he came through.

Rogue stood with a smile on his face. He had fewer bandage wrapped around himself. His skin regained a healthy glow. He still grimaced as he walked slowly toward his better half. "What have you been up to? The others said you haven't been around lately."

"Oh well I been locked up in the office doing boring old payments, ya know. The stuff your not allowed to do per Porlyusica's orders." The blonde man said with a smile as he lead his friend away.

"Well I feel a lot better now. I could help with something."

"No no no, you need to rest till your fully recovered."

Rogue looked at Sting's face then looked away. "Alright then."

"Hey Yukino!" Sting called out when the two co masters walked into the large room used for Sabertooth members to dine in. "You mind getting us something?"

The woman across the room with short white hair nodded her head then went through double swinging doors. The two men sat at a table away from the other men hunched over eating or talking.

"Did you make any moves on Fairy Tail?" The raven hair man asked lowly.

Sting gritted his teeth in a way that the other man won't notice. Of course Rogue won't turn away from anything he planned. But on the other hand his plans weren't so drastic as the one he's already started on and he didn't want to stress his friend with the details. "No, I have been brainstorming somethings."

"Here's lunch." Yukino came toward them with two plates of a sub sandwich with a side of potato chips. She had a soft smile when she set the plates down in front of the two men. "I'll bring you both something to drink." She had said before walking away again.

"I'll just need a few days more of rest and I'll be able to come up with ideas with you. That master Natsu, he was a idiotic boy who knew nothing when he succeeded his dad. We will outsmart him." Rogue declared picking up a chip and popping it into his mouth.

Just as Sting was about to speak, the swinging double doors swung open so hard they hit the wall. Rufus came through the doors with a frightened expression. Everyone in the room went silent as they watched the long hair blonde walk straight for the Co masters.

"Sirs you have a visitor." He gulped as the last word flew out his mouth.

"Huh? Who could possibly be coming now?" Sting growled out.

"She's in your office."

Sting and Rogue instantly stood up and pushed passed Rufus to their joint office knowing all too well who 'she' is.

When they reached their office doors, they entered and saw her seated on Sting's desk without a care. Three men dressed in black suits stood on either side of her with a smug looks on their faces.

"E-Erza?" Rogue said in disbelief while Sting kept a straight face.

The scarlet woman's dark eyes settled themselves on the Co masters then a scowl formed on her lips. "What is the meaning of this?" She asked blankly to which neither men responded to. "What is it with your rivalry with Dragon Lord must you hurt innocent people?"

Rogue was puzzled by this. Sting's face harden more.

"Between our guilds, we had signed to fight as we want but never shall we involve outsiders. Your father's both signed and taught you that very rule as my own mother did." Erza bared her teeth a bit to rattle fear into both men. "Natsu was taught the rule all the same. We all play different roles. So when I find out who caught that civilian girl, one of you will pay dearly."

"Do I make myself clear? Or should I ram sack this whole guild hall?"

"No." Sting said stepping forward. The action alone made the mistress of Fairy Tail raise a brow. "I mean it's unnecessary for it to be done when we done no wrong. Those people in Dragon Lord could have made up a lie for all you know."

"Hm, whatever the matter might be I will be investigating." The scarlet woman hopped off the desk she sat on and walked straight out the room between Sabertooth's co masters as the three men she came with followed after her.

"What aren't you telling me Sting?" Rogue asked once the doors clicked shut, standing in place not moving an inch.

He blonde looked down at the ground with his teeth clamped down on each other. "I want to hurt him."


	49. chapter 50

_"He's not fit to be a master nor is he fit enough for me to associate with him. Either Dragon Lord disbands or my hand will be forced."_ _"Like your son's any better Weisslogia?" The scarlet hair woman let a laugh escape her lips as the man narrowed his eye at her._ _"Irene this no laughing matter."_ _"It's not like this is life or death. Let the boy walk in Igneel's foot steps, I trust that Igneel taught him well."_ _"I have to agree with her, Igneel was always one step ahead." Skiadrum said folding his hand together._ _"Metalicana, truthfully has Igneel taught that boy anything? I won't let a delinquent boy run amuck on the streets of Magnolia." Weisslogia said gritting his teeth clearly unpleasant by everything being said._ _"Igneel had taught him since he was old enough to understand. He brought Natsu plenty of times to observe the daily task of a master." Metalicana argued._ _"It's his birth right Weiss. Why is this matter up for discussion anyway?" Irene asked as her eyes harden. "I would like to talk about the investigation you yourself were going to perform to find who done this to our old friend."_ _"It's still under way."_ _"Would you rather I do the investigation? It's clear your not all concern by it only that a young man's taking your rivals place."_ _"And what is that suppose to mean?"_ _"Enough you two." Skiadrum said as both parties looked away from each other. "Maybe it's time to end this generation."_ _"Are you talking gibberish now Skiadrum?"_ _"I'm only saying it would be fitting if we gave the roles of master to a new generation."_ _"Oh I do love the sound of that! My daughter would do a most wonderful job. What do you think Metalicana?" The scarlet woman asked turning her head._ _"I would say it's a good idea."_ _"And you Weisslogia? Skiadrum already voiced his opinion and since your both Co masters of one guild I bet one voice has more power then the brute who doesn't think."_ _The man with golden yellow hair looked up with hard eyes at the smirking woman named Irene. He slammed a clenched fist on at the table he sat. "Enough. I have to give this desicion lots of thought woman."_ _"Address me as either Irene or mistress of Fairy Tail." She flipped her scarlet hair and leaned back in her seat to look at the man underneath the brim of her hat. "Never by that."_ _"But see as you brought up the subject of 'woman', I want there to be a rule where women and children are not to be harmed in guild business. I have far too many complaints from people under my protection that they are harmed because of those men in Sabertooth being reckless!"_ _"Settle down now. You all didn't gather here to fight." Metalicana's voice boomed to shut the other two up._ _The golden hair man glared. "And why are you here? You aren't a master nor former master of any guild to be present here."_ _"Metalicana was Igneel's most trusted right hand man. He even help create Dragon Lord. So his place here is accepted." Skiadrum spoke calmly with closed eyes as he did so. "Anyway, your vote is still pending Weisslogia."_ _Weisslogia looked at the three pairs of eyes on him before giving a defeated sigh. "I agree for the new generation of masters."_ _"Come in you four." Weisslogia's voice boomed full of annoyance._ _A young man with messy golden hair was all smiles walking along side another with dark hair that covered his face but one eye. A woman with long red hair had her arms crossed under her chest with stern eyes looking straight ahead. Then lastly came the pinkette with a distant look had his hands stuck in his pockets._ _"Now then we have much to discuss before noon." Skiadrum said gesturing for the group to take a seat on the other side of the table from him._ _When they were all seated Irene smiled examining them. "As we step down from our positions as masters, we hope you keep peace where it's allowed- Sting, Rogue, Erza, and Natsu."_


	50. chapter 51

_"Dad." Natsu let a strangled cry out as he clutched the only memorabilia that he now possessed that belonged to his father Igneel Dragneel. A simple white scarf with the design of scales that resemble much like a dragon's. The pinkette sat on the couch in his once happy childhood home mourning his lost, calling out for his dad as if by a whim he'd appear again._ _"Natsu!" A shout came from the back door but the pinkette didn't raise his head or acknowledge the figure rushing to him._ _Gray stumbled into the living room the pinkette occupied and was immediately modified by the scene. Gray found out Natsu's dilemma through their mutual friend Gajeel. He moved himself closer to the couch and dropped to his knees in front of the young adult._ _"M-my my dad.. Gray m-my dad's.." He tried to say but no words could form properly as he choked in tears again._ _"I know." Gray hummed rubbing his back in a comforting manner. After a few moments of silence he spoke again. "Have you eaten at all? Or even slept?"_ _Natsu didn't say a word but tighten his grip on his dad's scarf._ _A low meow was heard from across the room. Happy came trotting over to the raven hair man, meowing even more to grab anyone's attention. Gray ran his hand down the cat's back and then up again._ _"Come man." Gray told Natsu as he grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the kitchen._ _The ravenette made a simply sandwich and set it in front of the pinkette who looked like a zombie sitting at the kitchen counter. "Eat." He instructed him. Natsu remained still._ _"I might not know what your going through but I do know you need to eat and sleep. Your dad would't want to see you like this. It's been almost a week." Gray spoke the last part quietly._ _"He didn't move. He was my only family." Natsu uttered with his lip quivering. "What am I suppose to do now?"_ _"Natsu, we might fight and cause hell between each other but we are friends without a doubt." Gray chuckled slightly with his naturally droppy eyes finding a spot on the counter to stare. "Remember how in middle school when we fought, you said were family no matter how many times you threaten to light me up."_ _"Even when I was a punk in diapers who pushed you away, you always came back full force." The ravenette said walking away to the back door he had came through. "Me and Gajeel are your family. Remember that." He said lastly leaving his friend to stare at the food in front of him._


	51. chapter 52

"Sting you idiot!" The blonde flinched at the ravenette's comment as he looked through the small peak hole at the shivering figure under the tattered blanket. Rogue gritted his teeth as his curled up knuckles turned white. "What have you been doing behind my back?"

"Revenge."

"For what reason does that lead to taking that girl? Erza is going to kill both of us!" Rogue hissed turning around and pushing the blonde in the chest. "We all agreed to not hurt people outside our guilds!"

Sting bared his teeth. "How is it that the world revolved around that punk? Our dad's stepped down because his died. He was given the position as master while we had to undergo several test BEFORE taking over. Why does he get special treatment just cause he's the 'great' Igneel Dragneel's son!?" The blonde ranted clearly angry with his eyes wide glaring hard at his better half. "People that I met with on business rave so much about him. I'm tired of him. I'll finish him off just like my dad di-" He paused for a moment when he saw Rogue's face.

"Did what?"

No response.

"What did Weisslogia do?"

Sting looked away avoiding Rogue's gaze. "Kill Igneel. It was a secret he told me before he met his demise."

Rogue turned on his heel and walked up the stairs without saying a word. Sting chased after him. "Don't go blabbing to Erza!"

"Then what am I suppose to do? Sabertooth rivaled Dragon Lord as a friendly rivalry of power and strength not for this."

Sting stayed silent but his arm flew up to grasp the ravenette's arm.

"This isn't going to end well is all I have to say about this."

He shock off the blonde's arm and marched back up the stairs.


	52. chapter 53

"Gray."

The said man looked up seeing the man stand up abruptly. A week has passed without hearing anything from Erza or anyone who could spot the Dragon Lord's beloved. Natsu moved like a zombie going through the motions- eating, sleeping, bathing, ect. Gray and Gajeel took turns watching over the pinkette and both feared they won't see him normal again.

"I'm going in."

"Huh?"

Natsu walked out his office door frightening Gray even more. The ravenette bolted out the door in time to hear him shouting names and orders.

"What's he doing now?" Gajeel called out.

"He said he was going in." Gray said standing there stunned.

Gajeel went wide eyed and rushed over to Natsu who inched closer to the door. The ravenette stood there watching them talk. As much as Gajeel spoke the more Natsu clenched his fist and move to grab his trusty bat in the umbrella bucket.

"If you wanna be useful help out!" He cried pushing the doors open as a small group of men followed him out.

"Damnit." Gajeel growled then whipped his head toward Gray. "Come on! we gotta follow salamander!" He then ran out the door chasing the pinkette.

"Reckless as ever." He sighed. "Mirajane. Watch over the guild." Gray said before he too ran out the door.

"What do you want us to do now?"

"Bust those doors open, what else?" Natsu snared scaring a few guild members.

They stood at Sabertooth's guild armed with only knives, bats, and their fists. Igneel always told his son how bringing guns would be unfair in a fit no matter what the situation. Dragon Lord's master stood front and center with Gray and Gajeel trying to convince the pinkette that his actions are too drastic and he'll be facing consequences without a doubt.

"Why don't you guys ever shut up! I had enough." Natsu roared. He then marched forward with their fellow members looking hesitant but obeyed their given orders.

Two big muscled members hovered their shoulder above the door surface then slammed it firmly against the hard surface to bust it open. After three attempts they were successful to budge the door open. Screams were soon heard from inside the guild, shouting of angry men running up and down. Natsu strolled in glaring heavily.

"Sting! Get your ass out here or I'll tear this place apart again!" The pinkette screamed.

The Co Sabertooth guild masters emerged on top of the stairs dressed as if they were prepared before they came. Sting had his hands on the rail glaring back at the pinkette as Rogue was standing off behind the blonde with an unsure look. Sting exchanges a few words with Rogue who was quick to turn on his heels and walk away.

"What's your deal Dragneel? My guild can't enjoy their night without thinking you'd come back like a rat."

"You know exactly what! You got her here don't you!"

Sting smirked as soon as he said her which infuriated Natsu. The pinkette took a big step toward the stairs but her a loud tsk.

"Take another step and you'll be hearing from Erza."

"Natsu." Gray said calmly as Gajeel clapped his hand on the pinkette's shoulder to hold him in place. "It would be wise if you don't. Remember last time you got into trouble? Erza made all our business connections quiet for a whole month, it almost killed us."

Natsu gritted his teeth as the explanation sinked in. When that happened he hated every minute of it. But if he ended up having a reasonable cause perhaps she'd be more lenient.

"LUCY! LUCY!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Everyone from Dragon Lord looked as puzzled as some of Sabertooth members who stood around the stairs to guard their master. The corner of Sting's smirking lips twitched a bit. Everyone stayed quiet as he continued to shout then listen intensely from a sound.

"LUCE!" He cried out sounding almost defeated.

"Na-su." Was faintly heard but enough to satisfy him

"Natsu what's the meaning of this? Why did I have to rush over because your invading homes." A powerful voiced boomed.

Dragon members split themselves down the middle for a small group to walk into the room. Erza Scarlet scrolled in with her arms crossed as well as a scowl on her face.

"He has my Lucy!" Natsu growled out his eyes not leaving Stings's. "I heard her. I definitely did."

"Natsu. Sting has already told me he doesn't know." She began but shook her head with a sigh. "But so we can get this over with and all of you to go home, Sting can we search the guild?"

"I already said I don't know what he's talking about. He's just trying to make a big fuss."

"You bastard!" He spat. "Lucy! LUCY! LUCE!"

The room went still.

"Na-su." Was faintly heard.

Erza's eyes widen at the sound. She instructed a woman named Biska and a man named Alzack to go around listening for the sound.

"I have had it already with both of you. I am not your mother or babysitter to listen to you complain!" The scarlet yelled out making the two men to blame grimace. "I promise you that I will shorten the leashes I put you on."


	53. chapter 54

"Lucy! LUCY! LUCE!"

"Na-su." The girl croaked as loudly as her dried out throat could muster. She began to cry hearing his voice call for her. Lucy began to twist and turn her body to get rid of the bindings on her wrist and ankles.

"Hun, it's coming from here." She heard a familiar voice say.

Yelling was heard above her head as well but she didn't pay much attention.

'Natsu, I'm scared and happy. Help me.' She thought as a door creaked open stopping her of her moving.

"Na-su. Na-su." The blonde croaked breaking into tears of mixed emotion.

She heard a gasp and hushed voices before another door creaked open again. Hands grabbed at her shoulders, one pair were rough the other was softer. They pulled her to a sitting position but her vision was blinded by tears to see her saviors.

"Shh it's alright hun. We got you, your safe." A warm voice spoke in a soothing way that put Lucy at ease but felt as if she knew the voice from somewhere. "Alzack, go tell Erza. I'll ease her up. The voice spoke again when the bindings at her ankles were off.

"Alright." Another voice said before the binding around her wrist we cut off.

Lucy immediately raised her hands to her eyes and rubbed tiredness and tears away. When she was finished she looked up to see a woman with long green hair and red ruby lips smile at her gently.

"Come on hun, you got someone worried about you." She said getting to her feet.

"W-who are you?"

"I'm Bisca."

"D-don't you work in a diner?"

"Yeah I do, part time for my family. But I do have another job."

Lucy stared confused as the woman named Bisca gently pulling her up to her feet. The school girl wobbled from not being on her feet in so long but she shakingly took two steps while being held up by Bisca. The pair ventured up the stairs little by little, step by step. The green hair woman didn't rush the blonde when they heard the yelling get more louder nearing the top.

"Luce!" Was yelled out stopping all the lecturing being heard.

She looked up and instantly began to feel her chest tighten and tears building up. "Natsu."

There the man with unusal pink hair dressed in one of his many black slacks and white dress shirts stood before her shocked written all over his face. Lucy tried to walk over to him but was held back by Bisca's hold on her elbow. She tried once more to which the older woman let her go but hovered over her so that she didn't fall.

"Luce, I been worried sick about you." He said rushing to her aid when she wobbled a bit. His bat, the bat he held on their second encounter, laid thrown and forgotten on the ground. Natsu gathered Lucy in a tight embrace until letting her go after a moment. "Are you alright?" He asked laying a hand to her tear matted face.

"Did he harm you in anyway Lucy?" Erza spoke up, frightening the blonde, and pointed to the stairs where another blonde stood avoiding anyone's gaze.

Lucy shock her head confused. "No Erza." She turned back to Natsu. "I'm fine."

A hiccup cry of happiness escaped her lips, startling a few, as the blonde school girl threw her arms around the pinkette. "I almost thought I'd never see you again! Oh Natsu I-" Her lip quivered.

"Shh Lucy." He said draping an arm over the girl's shoulders.

He began to lead her away out the door where they both left the room filled with people.

Erza began to speak in a authoritative way but neither one heard anything she said.

"I was so scared. But I somehow knew you'd get me Natsu." Lucy said quietly. The pinkette hummed a response to assure her she was right. She spoke up once more and spoke at a whisper. "Who were all those people?"

The hold Natsu had on her shoulders tightened but loosen just as it happened. "All that's for another day." He said. "You don't know how upset I was Luce."

Lucy looked up at Natsu and saw how serious he looked guiding them to a vehicle nearby.

"I know." She said laying her head against him smiling happily.


End file.
